A Darker Shade of Midnight
by Pipkin Sweetgrass
Summary: set post Waters of Mars/Children of the Earth - The Doctor and Jack are damaged men in need of healing.  Where better to heal a broken Time Lord than Middle Earth? Little bit dark Rated for language and the presence of Captain Jack Harkness.
1. Chapter 1

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Dr. Who/Lord of the Rings crossover

Rated for language and the presence of Captain Jack Harkness. Because he is, after all, Captain Jack Harkness.

**Doctor's timeline: Post Waters of Mars**

**Jack's timeline: Post Children of Earth**

**LotR timeline: Rivendell, Fellowship of the Ring**

Note to my usual readers: As you know I have only ever written Lord of the Rings fan fiction and my work has always been pretty much squeaky clean so my grandchildren could read it. To those not familiar to the Who-niverse, there's plenty of info-dumping. I hope it makes you as addicted to Dr Who as I am. Really, I do. Because it's so worth it.

Some of you might not like this story because of the language and some of the situations and scenes. And the presence of Captain Jack Harkness. I'm sorry if you don't but I hope you'll give it a shot anyway. I didn't really choose the characters or story so much as it chose me, and I cannot possibly write Jack any other way than what he is. It's what makes him Jack Harkness. Enjoy the lighter moments while you can because this story gets a bit dark. Because it has to. Hence the title. These are two very damaged individuals, and that's canon for them. Hopefully I'll get them to a lighter shade of midnight by the end.

While writing Flirting Jack can be a lot of fun, I actually see the relationship between the Doctor and Jack to be more like that of teacher and student, since under the Doctor's influence, Jack went from being a coward, a con man and a criminal to being a hero. He even learned to be monogamous, which is completely against his nature and considered antiquated by his society. That's a pretty big jump. He did it for the Doctor and admits freely to it. So yeah, I think that's very sweet. But they both went through Hell itself during that little journey, they both made terrible mistakes, and they're both paying for those mistakes. These are haunted men. I hope to see them heal a bit.

Other than that, I'm praying this will break the horrible writer's block I've been fighting for…well…actually years now. Wish me luck.

Chapter 1

"Doc?"

Nothing.

"Hey, Doctor? Wake up. We're here. Wherever the hell 'here' is."

Still nothing.

"Come on, Doc, snap out of it!"

Captain Jack Harkness never panicked about anything. Ever. But he was close to it at this point. Three weeks of Sometimes Unresponsive, Not Eating, Snarking, Raging and Panic-Attack-Having Doctor was just about as much as he could take.

He stood up from where he'd been squatting before the Doctor. The Time Lord sat curled up, leaning against the bulkhead of the console room in the TARDIS. He couldn't possibly be comfortable there on the metal grid, but every time Jack got him moved to a chair or to his bed he would turn around and find the Doctor there.

Three weeks. Three weeks worth of this shit. Quite simply, it was tearing Jack's world apart into a million bits. Which was saying something because Jack's world was a very, very big world. Big enough to hold miracles and monsters. Big enough, even, to hold nothing less than a Time Lord, one who Jack worshiped with his whole being.

Jack stood over said Time Lord, gazing down at him blankly. Maybe some tea? Sometimes that shook him out of these periods of simply shutting down. Jack sighed and shambled to the galley, put on the kettle and made tea. He rummaged around and found a few stray biscuits, the kind with raspberry filling the Doctor was fond of. He'd done this enough over the past three weeks.

For whatever reason, maybe the warmth of a mug in those too-thin hands, maybe the smell of the tea, Hell, could be it was just the ordinary act of it; tea sometimes brought the Doctor around a little.

Jack sighed again and scrubbed his hands across his face. He had driven himself to distraction trying to find out what was wrong with the Doctor. He was going to come as unhinged as the Doctor if he couldn't catch a break As he mindlessly got everything ready on a tray, he recalled the day the Doctor had shown up, the TARDIS materializing right in the small flat he'd rented on Bellaco VI. Delighted, Jack had jumped from his chair, knocking over empty glasses he'd left from his latest binge of drinking and debauchery. He had bounced across the room to the TARDIS, ready to give the Doctor a bear hug, but the Doctor hadn't come out. Jack remembered laying a hand on the TARDIS door and stroking it affectionately. "What's wrong, gorgeous?" he had asked her, and felt a distressed thrumming under his palm. The door to the TARDIS had swung open on its own. Jack had crept inside.

He recalled the eerie quite of the console room, how he had scanned the area, searching for his friend. Only when he had made it to the other side of the console did he see the Time Lord. Even now, he could recall all too well feeling the blood drain from his face at the sight. Seeing the Doctor slumped on the floor, he'd rushed to him, knelt and grasped the Doctor by the shoulders. God, he had lost weight, like he had weight to spare to start with. Thin at best, the Time Lord was nearly skeletal. He couldn't have shaved in more than a week. His hollow eyes were circled in shadows so dark he damn near looked like a raccoon. He gazed blankly at nothing at all.

"Doctor?" Jack had called. The Doctor hadn't reacted. "Doc? You okay?" His friend stared into the middle distance as though in a trance. Jack waved a hand in front of his friend's eyes. "Doc? Doctor!" Jack had cautiously reached out a hand and gently lifted the Doctor's face. "Doc?" he repeated, softly now, almost fearful of the reaction, or worse, of no reaction at all.

Something about being touched had broken through. The Doctor had thrown himself into Jack's embrace, clutching to him as if for dear life. A choked "Jack!" was all he got at first.

"Damn, Doc, you are rank," Jack had said. It was true. Apparently the Doctor was neglecting his hygiene as much as his nutritional needs. "What's wrong? You sick?"

The only answer he got was the Doctor rapping his knuckles on the grid over and over again. Jack had literally dragged the Doctor to his feet and helped him to his bedroom. Jack had gotten him on the bed and, sitting beside his friend and taking his hand gently, called his name again. The Doctor met his gaze for a moment before shutting his eyes and curling into a ball.

Jack found a basin in the bathroom, filled it with warm water, found soap and a cloth and gently undressed and bathed his friend, finishing up with a shave. In a nearby drawer, he found clean pajamas and underwear and managed to get the Time Lord dressed. Not once had his friend reacted or responded in any way, though he did cooperate. Jack had pulled a chair close to the Doctor's bed and collapsed into it, holding his friend's hand and wondering what to do.

Tea, the Doctor loved his tea…maybe that would help. He busied himself making tea for the Doctor and coffee for himself. Taking the tea tray to the Doctor's bedside, he had managed to get the Doctor to sit up, pressing a cup of tea into his thin hands.

"Come on, Doc, have a little tea? It'll make you feel better," Jack had said. After a little coaxing the Doctor had finally raised the cup to his lips and taken a sip. He blinked, finally focusing on Jack's face.

"Jack," the Doctor had said with a smile that didn't quite register as genuine.

It had taken Jack the rest of the day to get much more out of the Doctor, and that was damned little. No, he wasn't sick. (Yeah, right.) No, he wasn't hurt. No, he wasn't about to regenerate. And Jack hadn't cared for the manic grin on the Doctor's face when he'd said that last. It wasn't his usual manic grin, full of goofy, geeky charm, mischief and humor. This grin looked a bit too close to someone on the teetering edge of total insanity. Jack had shuddered at that last thought. He hoped the universe never had to deal with another insane Time Lord. Wasn't sure the universe would survive it, in fact.

And it hadn't gotten much better since then. That was about the extent of the Doctor's interaction with him, except when it wasn't. Then it was a God-awful nightmare. Three weeks worth of hyperventilating, bouts of deep depression interspersed with fits of rage—and that in a Time Lord is just plain scary. Sometimes he would just be downright meaner than cat shit to Jack. "It's not easy, just _looking_ at you, Jack. 'Cause you're _Wrong_," was often repeated, probably because the Doctor knew how badly that had stung. "Wrong Jack. Jack the Fact. You reek of temporal anomaly. You disgust me."

It didn't help, knowing that that was true. Jack's mere presence made the Doctor feel ill. He couldn't help it. He was a Time Lord, and Jack, being a fixed point throughout time and space, should not exist. The flow of time swirled and eddied and broke around him like water around a boulder in a stream, and that wasn't meant to be. Every instinct in the Doctor must have cried out to get away from Jack. Hell, the Doctor had abandoned him because of it. Twice. He and the TARDIS had even run to the end of the universe to get away, Jack clinging to her on the outside of the TARDIS all the way through the vortex. And yet, the Doctor didn't seem able to cut himself off completely from his friend. They would go for months, even years without seeing each other, but sooner or later they would wind up together again, sometimes briefly, sometimes for a little longer.

After the bouts of hatefulness the Doctor always said he was sorry, so, so sorry, hanging his head in shame, trotting after Jack like an apologetic puppy. Sometimes Jack didn't know whether to throttle the Doctor or just grab him and hug him, hoping that if he squeezed hard enough the meanness would somehow bleed out and dissipate. If only that could have been good enough! But what could he do? It wasn't exactly like there were many shrinks out there qualified to treat a Time Lord. He finally decided to let the TARDIS choose the destination. Because according to the Doctor, it was the TARDIS herself who had decided to bring her Time Lord to him. She had found the image of Jack in the Doctor's mind, understood that her Time Lord needed Jack, and off she'd gone.

Besides, the Doctor said, she had grown to love Jack so after he had destroyed the Paradox machine the Master had built in her and helped her Time Lord repair the damage. Jack had often wondered how violated she had felt at what the Master had done to her. How the Doctor could ever forgive him Jack just didn't know. But that was the Doctor, probably the loneliest creature in the universe. And after all, he and the Master had been boyhood friends, and Jack could understand the Doctor not wanting to be the very last of his kind. After all, Jack was like no other being in the universe, himself. Still, if it had been up to Jack, he'd have shot the bastard himself and hoped he regenerated enough so Jack could shoot every last regeneration of him. Because nobody…_nobody…_had the right to do to his Doctor, his precious Doctor, what that bastard had done.

Jack knew the Doctor, for all his fearsomeness, could be the sweetest, kindest, gentlest, most understanding being. But then he could turn around and it was look out, whoever was in his way. Oncoming Storm. Destroyer of Worlds. In other words, Time Lord. And though the Doctor was lashing out at Jack now, he also understood the Doctor would never, ever actually harm him.

He took the tray into the console room and hunkered down by the Doctor, lifted a mug of tea and, placing it into the Doctor's hand, helped him raise it to his mouth. "C'mon, Doc, tea time! Drink up, will you? Got you some of those biccies you like, too."

The Doctor inhaled, and then slowly took a sip of his tea. "Hello, Jack," he said, pasting a clearly false little smile on his face. Still, Jack heaved a sigh of relief.

He had made coffee for himself. He sat on the grid opposite the Doctor and took his own mug, hoping that his sitting there would encourage the Doctor to eat his biscuits. It worked, and Jack heaved another sigh of relief. Yeah, he was becoming a basket case himself over his worrying about the Doctor. Not that he hadn't been far down the path to that _before_ the Doctor had arrived, but no way was he going there right now. Jack pushed his own personal pain to the back of his mind so that he could focus on his present situation.

"Not sure where or when we are, Doc," Jack said, trying to keep his voice and demeanor light and conversational. "Think you might feel up to taking a look?"

The Doctor nodded his head. Jack stood and offered a hand. The Doctor took it and Jack helped him up, inwardly wincing at the little weight of his friend's body. He followed the Doctor to the Console. The Doctor looked at the screen and broke into a grin, an actual, honest to God grin, his old grin, the one where he'd show as much teeth as he could because he knew it made him look a bit crazy. "We-ell, look at that!" he patted the console lovingly. "You're brilliant, Old Girl, well and truly! Blimey, I would never, ever have thought of this. Jack, this is going to be _fantastic. _You're never going to see this coming!"

And that little glimpse of his Doctor, his normal (and was that ever a relative term!) old Doctor, well, it made his eyes sting with tears of relief. "So, what's it going to be, then?" he asked.

Stuffing the last biscuit into his mouth, the Doctor said, "Spoilers!" spraying crumbs everywhere. "You ready?"

"Hold on a tick, Doc," Jack said. He practically ran to his room to get his weaponry. Webley MK VI – check. Beretta 92F/FS – check. For good measure his tiniest, yet most powerful gun, his good old compact Laser Deluxe. Satisfied, he ran back to the console room.

The Doctor perused him as he returned. "Jack, no!" he frowned. "You are not bringing those things here. Nope. Not gonna happen."

"Oh, yes I am," Jack said. "Don't worry, Doc, I won't use them unless I absolutely have to. But I don't know where and when we are, and I'm not leaving you unprotected. Not even if you kill me a half dozen times."

"Come on, Jack, humor me?" the Doctor said. And there they were, those damned puppy dog eyes that the doctor wielded on Jack like a weapon. And he did it because he knew it worked, damn him.

Jack wavered. It was so hard to turn him down when he was acting so much like himself just now. He decided to leave the Webley and the Berretta. The Doctor didn't need to know about the Laser. "Happy, angel, face?" he said.

"Jack, don't…don't…don't call me angel face."

"Anything you say, honey-bun."

"Ja-ack, stop iiiiit!"

"Maybe in a couple thousand years," Jack grinned. "You're so cute when you're mad."

The Doctor rolled his eyes heavenward. "Impossible."

"Not an original observation, there, Doc."

And the Doctor laughed. The first actual, genuine laugh Jack had heard in three weeks. "Come on then, you!"

Before the Doctor could open the door Jack swooped in to walk out first. "Sorry, Doc," he said, knowing he was using his immovable, don't-argue-with-me tone. "Me first. Just in case. Because you are a trouble magnet, you know."

He stepped out first, the Doctor on his heels. The TARDIS door closed behind them and Jack heard her lock the door herself. Odd, that. They had only gone a few paces when trouble started. Around a large boulder rounded a tall figure, a bow in hand, arrow ready and drawn, and pointed right at them.

"So much for not needing a gun, eh, Doc?"

Jack whipped out the laser.

"You. Ears," he said. "Drop it. Now."

He fired a warning shot at the apparent warrior's feet.

Alarmed, the elf loosed his bolt. The arrow flew and nailed him right in the heart.

"Oh, crap," he groaned. "Hang on, Doc."

And then he promptly died.


	2. Chapter 2

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 2

He had been with Lord Elrond taking a little wine when he heard it, that peculiar grinding, whirring sound. Gandalf laughed aloud. "The Doctor! He's come for a visit! I wonder what that rascal has been up to now? Elrond, an old friend of mine has stopped by. I'd like you to meet him. He's a very unusual character."

They hurried out to locate the Doctor. Gandalf scanned the area about him and spotted the TARDIS. As they came nearer they saw the door of the Doctor's blue box open, but instead of seeing his old friend bouncing out with his peculiar energy, Gandalf saw a young man in a long gray coat step out, his eyes seeming to sweep the area as if to spot trouble, then move a little more forward. The Doctor walked behind the young man. He was in shocking condition, Gandalf saw. And obviously in some sort of trouble or he would not have had this apparent guardian with him. One of Elrond's guards had stepped forward and had drawn his bow in readiness for trouble. Suddenly the Doctor's guardian had a small, silver object in his hand and was pointing at the guard, shouting "You. Ears. Drop it. Now." Suddenly the stone just by the guard's feet exploded, sending dust and rubble flying.

The guard loosed his arrow, hitting the Doctor's guardian in the chest. Gandalf saw the young man crumple to the ground and ran forward, Elrond at his heels.

"Doctor," Gandalf called.

But the Doctor wasn't listening. In fact he began to exhibit the most bizarre and disturbing behavior Gandalf had ever seen in his friend. He straddled his dead companion's body and ripped the arrow out roughly. Worse, he proceeded to beat up the corpse, cursing vilely. Gandalf closed the gap between them and placed his hands on the Doctor's shoulders to draw him away from his dead companion. To Gandalf's shock, the Doctor rounded on him, swatting away his hands.

"Leave him alone," The Doctor shouted, and then returned his wrath on the corpse. "Get up! Get up, you stupid ape!"

Suddenly the corpse gasped, drawing in what sounded like a horribly painful breath. The Doctor snatched up the small, silver object, obviously a weapon of considerable power, and pressed it to his own temple.

"Doctor!" The young man, obviously miraculously _not _dead, seeming to be no longer even injured, cried out, his hand raised as if he wanted to wrest the weapon from the Doctor's hand, but was afraid to try. "Doctor, please, that thing has a hair-trigger. You're going to hurt yourself, maybe kill yourself…put it down, Doc. Please."

"What, you don't like it?" the Doctor snarled. "Why don't I just pull the trigger, yeah? If I manage to regenerate, I can do it again, too. I've only got three left in me, Jack. Three. I can just keep doing it until there aren't any more regenerations."

"Doctor, please…please stop, Doc, you're scaring me," the young man said, horror plain on his face.

"Three times, Jack. Just three times and all my troubles will be sorted for good and all. Three times."

"Doctor, no, please…"

"Oh, I'm scaring you, am I? Well, Jack," snarled the Doctor, "That's how I feel every time I see you pull that little stunt. How does it feel, Jack? How does it feel watching me maybe die for good? Because that's what it does to me, you stupid, thickheaded barbarian! How am I supposed to know how many times you can come back? Hmm?"

The young man lunged suddenly, expertly taking the weapon from the Doctor and jamming it into the pocket of his coat. Fast as lightning, he grasped the Doctor's lapels and rolled, pinning the Doctor to the ground. He proceeded to shake the Doctor like a dog shakes an old rag. "You ever do that again, you skinny little shit, and I'll put a belt across your ass, and not in a fun way!"

The young man rose, practically snatching the Doctor to his feet. For a moment, Gandalf thought the young man was going to hit the Doctor. Instead, he pulled him close, his face twisted with pain. "You bastard. Don't ever do that again, Doc, please. I really would die forever if you did what you said." The young man was near tears. The Doctor squirmed out of the embrace and brushed himself off.

"I'm not going to apologize, Jack." His face looked tired and grim and angry. "Stop doing that, I mean it. You frighten me every time I see you die. Now, the TARDIS brought us here for a reason. Let's just leave all this and find out what it is." He turned then and his face lit up, actually recognizing Gandalf for the first time since his arrival. "Gandalf!" The Doctor grinned with delight. "Jack, look! It's Gandalf. Told you this would be fantastic!"

His face was pale, terribly pale. He wobbled, his eyes rolled up in their sockets, and then he collapsed like a wet sheet. The young man with him grabbed the Doctor before he could hit the stony ground. The little silver weapon was once more in his hand. He looked like a wild animal, his eyes cold, hard, daring anyone to move. "Touch him and I'll kill every one of you," he growled softly. He was like a warg defending his young, angry and afraid. His eyes flitted from one to the other before settling on the guard with the bow. His eyes narrowed to slits and his teeth were bared in a soundless snarl.

"Jack?"

Gandalf saw that the Doctor's eyes were open again. He reached his hand up and gently touched the young man's hand, the hand gripping the little silver weapon.

"Jack," the Doctor said softly, soothingly. "It's all right, Jack. Put that thing away, please. We're among friends, Jack. The guard just reacted because you discharged that laser. No one here will hurt me, Jack, I promise. I promise."

"Could have fooled me," Jack said. "But! You're the Doctor. Never doubted you, never will." At last the weapon was put away once more, hopefully for the last time. Jack still, however, did not let go of the Doctor. "You okay? Look a little unsteady there, angel face."

"Jack…don't…don't…don't call me that in front of everyone, really."

"Okay, sweet cheeks, I'll wait until we're alone to call you angel face."

"Jack, stop it."

"Think you can stand up now, Doc?"

"I think so," the Doctor said. "Blimey, how many times do I have to ask you to call me 'Doctor'? Who do you think you are, Bugs Bunny?"

The young man tried to steady the Doctor on his feet. It didn't work and he had to be caught all over again. "Okay, then," he hefted the Doctor into his arms. "Come on, Skeletor. You there, Ears." He looked at Elrond. "Nice look, by the way. Got someplace I can put him? He's not in too good a shape, in case nobody noticed. And…wait. Doc, did you actually say 'Gandalf'?"

"Yes, Jack. Gandalf. As in wizard."

"No. No, really?"

"Yes, Jack, really, what happened to 'never doubted you, never will'? Good old TARDIS! Brilliant, isn't she?"

"Seriously, Doc…this can't be right. Have we fallen through the rift or something?"

"No, Jack, Middle Earth is more a when than a where, you see. Well, almost. Well, not really, it's…wibbly wobbly, timey wimey…stuff. Look, just trust the TARDIS and me, will you? She brought us here—"

"Here for a reason, yeah, you said that already. So, Ears! What do you say? Got a sick Time Lord here could use a little rest."

"Jack, don't…don't call Lord Elrond 'Ears,' that's just so rude."

"Oh, so that's Lord Elrond," Jack said. "Hello, Lord Elrond!"

"Stop iiiit!"

"I was just saying hello!"

"Just saying hello is flirting to you. Now stop it."

"Oh, all right! You never let me have any fun. If it was up to you I'd be celibate."

"Blimey, that would be a full time job, that would, keeping you celibate. Don't think there's a force in the universe that could do that."

"Well? Sick Time Lord? Hello? Bed, anyone?" The young man moved forward, looking from Elrond to Gandalf as if waiting for directions. Wordlessly Elrond motioned for the guard to lead the way and Jack followed, eager to get the Doctor settled in.

"Did I mention," Gandalf said to Elrond, "That he's an unusual character?"


	3. Chapter 3

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 3

"I still can't believe this," said Jack. Carrying the Doctor was heart-breakingly easy for him. Something had to be done about the Doctor's eating problems or he would starve himself. Jack worried that something like that might interfere with regeneration, though he hadn't broached the subject with the Doctor.

"Jack, the universe is big and…weird, and…ridiculous and…sometimes things happen that you don't count on. You of all people should know that."

"I got that, Obi Wan," Jack said. "Got it from the first time I knew you really were a Time Lord. If you was thinking straight—"

"_Were_ thinking straight, Jack. Conditional clause. First rule of intergalactic travel: Learn the language."

"Shut up," Jack said. "As I was saying, I thought Time Lords were a myth, too."

"I'm not senile, Jack. I do remember that little conversation."

"Gandalf," Elrond said, "I do understand you know this Doctor, but who is the young man with him and why is he…?"

"I don't know yet," said Gandalf. "But one thing I do know is this: the Doctor only ever travels with the best. I trust him. And if he trusts this…shall we say _strange _young man with him, then I'll trust him too. Though he is a puzzle to me, to be sure."

"I'm not sure I understand the nature of their relationship," Elrond said, a confused look on his face.

"I'll talk to the Doctor, no need to worry yourself." Gandalf said.

Arriving at the room meant for them, a spacious and elegant room with two beds, they watched as the young man deposited the Doctor on one of the beds. He looked worried. He squatted by the bedside, taking one of the Doctor's hands between his own two hands.

"So what do you need, what do you just want, Doc?" The young man looked terribly worried. "Want me to get your jammies from the TARDIS? Maybe another cup of tea or something?"

"Tea would be lovely, Jack," the Doctor smiled indulgently. "Could you get me some?"

"Anything you want, angel face." Jack stood and spun on his heel, making his coat swirl around his ankles. "Anyone? Tea?" He turned back to the Doctor. "I wish you'd eat a little something more, Doc. You look like you were eaten by a wolf and shit over a cliff."

"Thanks, Jack, that's a lovely compliment."

"Doc, at this point you'd have to run around in the shower to get wet. You need to eat."

"All right, Jack," the Doctor sighed. "I'm sure they have kitchens here, I could do with a cup of tea and maybe some soup?"

"Anything you want, doll face," Jack beamed.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Please don't call me doll face,"

"Oh, all right!" Jack turned and looked expectantly at Elrond and Gandalf. "Kitchen?"

Just then, Jack saw a small figure with light brown hair and green eyes peering around the door jam. "I could show you where the kitchens are," said the little one, stepping into the room. "I heard there was another wizard here, and I wanted to see if he looked like Gandalf. Merry said he would. He was wrong."

Jack grinned. He strode over to the little one and stuck out his hand. "Captain Jack Harkness. I would say 'at your service' but a certain," here he looked over his shoulder accusingly at the Doctor. "…_stick in the mud_ would hand me my ass if I did, I'm sure."

"Your…ass?" The little one took his hand and shook it.

"Yeah, 'friad he pretty much owns it."

"You mean he physically, legally owns your…bahookie?"

"Might as well, short stuff," Jack said.

"Jack," interrupted the Doctor. "Really bad form."

"All right, all right!" Jack said. "Jeez, the shit I take from you!"

"Jack, behave!"

Jack flung his hands up in surrender. "Okay! Okay! Tea and soup, my liege." He turned to the little one. "And you are?"

"Peregrin Took. My friends call me Pippin,"

"Hope to be a friend, then, Pippin Took!"

"Ja-a-a-ck!" scolded the Doctor. "He's a hobbit. Really, really, truly bad form."

"I know what he is, Doc, Jeeze!" Jack rolled his eyes. "No faith! No faith at all! All the changes I've gone through for that man, and still!"

"Is he your father?" asked Pippin.

"More what I would like to call a Daddy," Jack grinned.

"Jack!" scolded the Doctor.

"All right, damn! Tea and soup, I got it!" he turned to Pippin. "Care to show me the way, Munchkin?"

"Jack," said the doctor, "That's just plain racist."

Jack blew air from his lips loudly. "Yes, dear." Jack pouted. "Show me this alleged kitchen, Pippin," he said. "It better be good. Nothing but the best for the best."

"This way," Pippin replied.

Just before walking out into the long halls, Jack glanced back at the Doctor. "Allons-y!" he said, giving the Doctor a wink.

"Jack..?"

"Yeah?"

"Please behave."

"I always behave," Jack said. "Just not always like you want me to."

"And Jack?"

"What?" Jack replied impatiently.

"Spoilers, Jack."

"Gotcha," replied Jack. "No problem, angel face."

"Jack, please," said the Doctor, again with those damned puppy dog eyes.

"Okay, okay, I'll try, just don't expect too much." With that, he turned and followed Pippin, his greatcoat swirling around his ankles.

Gandalf had been silently observing the whole exchange. The Doctor seemed so cross with this Jack much of the time, but as the young man exited, he saw the Doctor smiling fondly.

"Yeah," The Doctor said, turning to Gandalf, "That's Jack. Captain Jack Harkness. My sometime companion and good friend." He looked over at Elrond. "And you must be Lord Elrond! Hello!" He raised a hand and wriggled his fingers. "I'm the Doctor! Please try to excuse Jack, if you don't mind. Product of the fifty-first century, you know. They're very…flexible, umm…ahem." He rubbed the back of his head. "I'll just try to make him behave."

"He's a very unusual man," Gandalf observed.

"What, about who he dances with, or is it that he can't stay dead?"

Gandalf grinned mischievously and said, "Yes."

"Ah, single answer to both! Saves a great deal of time, though it doesn't do a lot for clarity. Reminds me of a conversation I had once with a Raxacoricofallapatorian. Blimey, that didn't turn out too well."

"Are you done babbling, Doctor?" Gandalf said.

"Babbling? Me?" The Doctor's voice rose to a near squeak. He locked eyes with Gandalf and they both burst into laughter.

"If you don't mind," interrupted Elrond, "Could you explain to us how it is that he can't, as you say, stay dead?"

"We-ell, I'm afraid I'm responsible for that. Should never have taken him to Satellite 5, I suppose. He was killed there. Sacrificed himself for us, really. He has a heart of gold, my Jack does, even though he tries my patience." The Doctor sighed and laughed softly.

"But Rose, my companion, she accidentally absorbed the raw power of the vortex from the TARDIS. It gave her God-like powers and she resurrected Jack, but she didn't know what she was doing, and now…well, poor Jack can't die. He's a fixed point, a fact. That's not supposed to be. Events, yes, but not people. He'll live hundreds of thousands of years, perhaps longer. So you see, I have to teach him as much as I can. That long a life could drive a human insane. I'm afraid poor Jack is going to suffer much over time, but I know he'll be wiser for it in the end.

"He was buried alive, once, by his own brother. Can you imagine that? Thousands of years, and all the time, suffocating, his mouth and throat full of dirt, only to resurrect over and over. And I'm responsible for that. He'd have been better off to have never met me."

"Somehow," Gandalf said, "I doubt that, Doctor."


	4. Chapter 4

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 4

Jack and Pippin strolled along at a quick pace toward the kitchens. As they walked along Jack let his eyes flick from one passerby to the other. "Lots of pretties here, I see. Nice. Nice. Very nice. Gorgeous. And pay dirt, who is _that_?" He veered off towards the most beautiful female he had ever seen. And he had seen (and made love to) a lot of beautiful females. "Be still, my foolish heart!"

"I wouldn't if I were you," Pippin said, catching up to him and grabbing his coat sleeve. "That's Elrond's daughter, Arwen. Besides, she's Aragorn's lady."

"I see, hands off, then," he said, a look of deep regret on his face. "Damn it. Oh, well, I need to get tea and soup for the Doctor."

They continued to the kitchens. "Is he really a wizard?" asked Pippin.

Jack scratched his head. "Never really thought of him like that, but you know, he kind of is, really. More importantly to me, though, is he's the most wonderful creature anywhere. He's been the greatest influence of my entire life. If not for him I probably would still be wandering around breaking every law I could and damn the consequences. Or I'd be dead. I was a pretty rotten person before him."

"You called him a creature," Pippin said. "He's not a man?"

"Yes and no, he is a man. He's just not from here. He… How do I put this? He came from the stars. A whole other world. I mean, I did too, but my people are men, just like any other men, we just went to live in the stars. But the Doctor? His people _came_ from the stars. So, there it is. He's a man, but he's not a man."

"Look, there's Aragorn!" Pippin said. "And Boromir. You'll like them."

Jack muttered under his breath "Fat lot of good it'll do me, he never lets me do anything."

They caught up with the pair of men, who obviously were heading in the same direction.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack said, sticking out his hand and shaking the hand of each stranger. "Whoa, long shanks, anyone ever tell you to lay off the conditioner? And you are?"

"Aragorn, son of Arathorn."

"Pleased to meet you, Aragorn, son of Arathorn. And your friend?"

"Boromir of Gondor."

Jack looked at him a few seconds and Pippin saw a trace of sadness cross Jack's face. He looked Boromir in the eye and then saluted. "Sir," he said. "So, are we all going to the kitchens?"

"He has to get some tea and soup for the new wizard," Pippin said.

"We…have a new wizard?" Boromir said, falling into step beside them.

"No, you don't actually have him," Jack said. "We're just here for a visit. He's sick and I need to get him sorted. And I think that's why the TARDIS brought us here. I think maybe this might be the only place that can help him."

Suddenly Jack stopped in his tracks. "Then why did she bring him to me, first? Unless…she couldn't want me, here, too, could she? But why?"

"What is a TARDIS?" asked Aragorn.

"That's my wizard's…um, magic box. We travel in her. All across the stars." Jack began walking again.

"I'll be bound!" said Boromir.

"Probably," Jack grinned. "The leather kind of gives you away. Anyway, tea, soup, wizard, let's go."

"You called the magic box a 'she'…" Aragorn said.

"Yeah, she looks like she's made of wood, but she isn't. She's alive. TARDISes have to be grown, takes thousands of years. And she loves me. Drives the Doctor a bit batty that she loves me so much, I can tell. Never thought of him as the jealous type. Then again, if she were mine, I'd probably be possessive of her, too. By the way, Aragorn, I haven't met her yet, but I saw your girl. Take my advice, Legs, don't go leaving her lying around. She could meet someone, well, like me for instance." He grinned as Aragorn's jaw dropped.

Boromir guffawed. "Priceless. I wish you could see your face," he said to Aragorn. He turned to Jack. "You said your wizard is sick," he said. "Have you no healers?"

"We do, but not the kind he needs. I've told some of this to Pippin, but it bears repeating. The Doctor looks like us, but he's not one of us. He was born on another world; one that is so far away, it's sun looks like the tiniest light to you. It's one of the stars. When you look up at the night sky and see all those stars, think on this. They're suns, just like the sun you see in the sky here. It's just that they're so far away they look tiny. And he was born out there. So he's not a man, not like us, anyway. Most medicines we take would kill him. But he's not that kind of sick.

"Something has happened to him, or there's something that's going to happen and he's found out about it. And whatever that is, it's almost broken his spirit. He doesn't eat or sleep, he's confused and angry and sad all at once. I've never seen him afraid, not for himself. For others, yes, but never for himself. But I think something has frightened him, and he doesn't know what to do. I don't think he knows how to fear for himself, not since he was much younger, anyway. But even that's not all of it. Something is making him sad, sadder than I've ever seen him. Since I met him, I've seen him go through some horrible things, so I have seen him sad, but never like this. Something is breaking his hearts."

"Hearts?" This came as a chorus from all three of his companions.

"He has two hearts. I told you, he isn't one of us. And by the way, I'm only guessing at all this because he won't talk about it. He can talk for hours on end about anything. About himself? Hah, good luck with that. He's so bad about it that his friends and I have made the joke that when he says he's all right, what he really means is he isn't. There are medicines that can help people with these sorts of problems, but they won't work on him, he would have to have medicines from his own world. And that can never happen, because his world was destroyed in a great war. There are no…healers… for my Doctor. Because he's the last of his kind. All of them are dead but him. He's been so sick that his magic box had to decide for us where to go for help. She brought us here."

"You seem very loyal to this Doctor," Boromir said. "You have a soldiers loyalty in your heart. As a soldier myself, I can see it. Are you a soldier?"

"I was, until recently. I've been in a lot of wars. After that, I led a group of people who did pretty much the same thing as soldiers. The group was called Torchwood. Something…happened…it's all gone, now. I've been doing pretty much nothing but drinking since then. Until the TARDIS brought the Doctor to me."

Jack felt a tug on his sleeve. It was Pippin. "You say he's the last of his kind?" the hobbit's eyes looked haunted. "That's the saddest thing I've ever heard. How lonely he must be!"

Jack felt like he could have hugged the hobbit for that. Instead, he stopped walking and knelt to look Pippin in the eye. "He is lonely," Jack said. "He's the stuff of legend, my Doctor is. He's done battle with gods and demons and monsters and madmen. Out there among the stars and here on earth, he has saved worlds so many times, and most of the time no one knows it.

"He never stops. He never stays. He never asks to be thanked. He's a homeless wanderer. And he does it all for one reason. He loves people, all kinds of people.

He believes in helping those who can't help themselves, and in standing up for what's right, even if he has to risk his own neck to do it. All he ever wants is to make people better people. And he's the loneliest creature on this world and among the stars. I owe him so much, because he made me a better man, he saved me from myself. And there is nothing, and I mean nothing, that I wouldn't do for him. If it sounds like I think he's a hero, that's because he is one. The loneliest one." Jack stood and resumed walking.

"He sounds like a good man," Aragorn said.

"He's the best," Jack said. His handsome features twisted in a scowl. "I've been so worried about him. He doesn't deserve this! Everything he's done, everything he's had to lose or sacrifice, and this is what he gets?" Jack suddenly turned and punched the nearest wall with his fist. "It isn't fair, damn it! It's like fate just picks on him, and it isn't fair." He heaved a sigh, then resumed walking, faster now, as if to out-distance his anger. At that pace, it didn't take long to get to their destination.

"Who do I talk to?" Jack asked Pippin. Pippin indicated one of the taller elves. Jack walked over and introduced himself. "Captain Jack Harkness. Nice to meet you. I have a sick wizard who needs tea and soup. Can you help me out with that?"

"Certainly," replied the elf. "Will you be staying here, or are you only here for the day? If you are staying, I can arrange to have your meals sent to your room."

"I think we'll be here for a while," Jack said. "And if you're going to be sending meals, I have one very important request."

"Yes?"

"No pears. My wizard hates pears. In fact, hate isn't really adequate enough a word for it. He really, truly despises them to the point where he won't even touch one. Can't bear the sight of one. He hasn't been eating. If there's a pear anywhere near his food he won't eat it. So I'm asking you to please, please, do not, and I really mean that, let a pear anywhere near his food. His sense of smell is a lot better than most peoples, and if he so much as sniffs one out, he won't eat. So careful with the pears."

The elf grinned. "I'll make note of that."

"Yeah, he's quirky like that." Jack grinned back. "Also, if you have any roast beef, be sure to put custard on it for him. I know how that sounds but he really likes it. I hate watching him eat it. It's repulsive. And believe me, I know repulsive. But if you could whip some of that up sometime this week, I'd be very grateful."

"I'll start on that right away," replied the elf, now grinning widely. "Roast beef and custard. I suppose that's wizards for you."

"Got any coffee?"

"I'll get you some," the elf replied. "The tea, coffee and soup will be prepared and sent to your room. I'll have one of my assistants find out where you are. It won't take long."

"Great!" Jack beamed. He turned back to his companions, who were just finishing off a platter of cheese, bread and apples. "So! Who wants to meet the new wizard? Doc will get such a kick out of this. He deserves a little fun, and it's done wonders so far."

"Can Merry come, too?" Pippin asked, eyes wide and sparkling.

"Of course!" Jack said. "I've heard a little about you two. Frick and frack. Go get him, but hurry up, I want to go check up on the Doctor. And I want a word or two with everyone before we go."

Pippin rushed off to find his cousin, and Jack sat at the table with Boromir and Aragorn. He sighed, put his arms on the table and rested his head on them.

"You look weary," Aragorn said.

"I am," Jack said. "I haven't been getting much rest. Sick wizard and all. Three weeks worth of it. And he's been a handful. Sometimes a pain in the ass handful."

"If you don't mind my asking," Boromir said, "You have a hole in your shirt, and you've bled on yourself. What happened?"

"Long story short, gorgeous, I got hit with an arrow, right in the heart. Jeez, those always really hurt. And I might as well go ahead and say this. I can't stay dead. I've died thousands of times. Call it a curse. A bad mistake on the part of my wizard's companion, Rose. Sweet, beautiful Rose. Really nice bottom. Anyway, she couldn't help it, it's not her fault. She just wanted to save my life and it turned into the immortal mess that is me."

"I can see where that could be useful," Boromir said.

"Trust me, you don't want it. Eventually everything you love, everything you care about is gone, including people. So far the only one I haven't lost, or know that I will lose, is the Doctor. He's older than he looks. Eventually I'll lose even him. And then I'll really be alone."

"I'm so sorry," Aragorn said. "I hope you find peace and solace some day."

"Nice thought," Jack said. "I won't hold my breath for it, though."

"There he is, Merry!" Pippin's voice rang through the hall. "That's the new wizard's friend. He's funny, in a _lot_ of different ways, but I like him. Jack, this is my cousin."

Jack turned and stuck out his hand in greeting. "Let me guess, Meriadoc Brandybuck. Friends call you Merry."

"Don't look at me, Merry," Pippin said, "I didn't tell him your whole name."

Jack, remembering the Doctor's warning for no spoilers, interjected. "No big secret, word gets around. Elves, what can I say? They aren't all tight-lipped. Captain Jack Harkness, call me Jack." He motioned to the hobbits to sit with them. "Here's the little chat I wanted to have with all of you before we visit my wizard. Just some things you should know. I'd appreciate it if you kept it between us that we had this little talk.

"One, he's sick, like I keep saying. And he's a bit of an odd character. To say the least. But don't let that fool you. The kind of wizard he is, is called a Time Lord. He's a very powerful being. He doesn't use weapons, in fact he hates them. He uses his mind, and that is one scary-smart mind. But don't think that because he doesn't use weapons, he can't be dangerous. I know of things he's done that quite frankly scare me. You ever look in a mirror and think you see something behind you moving? That's one of his enemies. He trapped her in a mirror, in every mirror everywhere, forever. He visits her once a year. I don't think he'll ever forgive her. She and her family wanted to use him so they could live forever. And now they will. That's their punishment.

"Two, he doesn't give second chances. He's a big believer in giving even the worst monster a chance. But that's all they get. One chance. He can bring down the greatest leaders with a few words that no one will remember even hearing him speak. I know this for a fact.

"Three, he hates death. I think maybe it's to do with losing all his people, but with that one, who knows. Maybe it's because he's out-lived everyone he loves, or will. It drives him a little mad. I hope it doesn't get him in serious trouble some day, but it could. He hates death that much.

"Four, since he's been sick, he keeps tapping things, over and over. I don't think he knows he's doing it. Please do not point this out to him. I might know what this is about. I hope I'm wrong.

"Five, the Doctor always tells the truth, except when he doesn't. He's not a liar, really, but sometimes he has to mislead people, even his friends. That's why I trust him. If he didn't lie, I wouldn't have to trust him.

"Six, he's clever. And I don't mean just clever, I mean cleverer than anything or anyone you've ever met. Which leads me to this…

"Seven, in spite of the fact that he's clever, he can be awfully thick. Follow me closely on this one. It'll be fun. Know this: I flirt. I flirt with everyone. It's just how I'm made. I do it because it's fun, it's how I show affection and people like the attention. Also, it has been known to get me some. But the Doctor has given me another reason to do it. You see, he's not exactly the most, shall we say, romantic person. I think his mind doesn't work like that anymore since he lost his world. Family included. I'm sure he has the capacity to fall in love, he just blinds himself to it. Also, I think that busy mind of his just drives it out. So he doesn't get my little joke. When I flirt with everyone around him, he likes to scold me, and if I do it enough, he gets angry. He doesn't understand that he comes off looking like a jealous lover. If he ever catches on, he'll hand me my head. Or worse, stick me in a mirror or something. So if I flirt with you around him, just relax and enjoy the show. Call it my revenge for him never letting me have any fun. Everyone got all that?"

The rest looked at each other, nodding their heads.

"Great! Tea with the Doctor, everyone!"


	5. Chapter 5

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: All LotR universe belongs to whomever it belongs to and not to me. Same for Dr. Who/Torchwood. If they were mine I wouldn't be writing it, I'd be living it. I own nothing.

"…so of course I asked if she had her mobile, and she really ripped into me, because it seems earth girls don't have pockets in their wedding dresses...can't think why…" The Doctor chattered on, continuing to relate one of his more amusing adventures, and Gandalf listened with half his mind.

"…racing along in the TARDIS and dodging cars and when I finally caught up with her I tried to get her to jump in the TARDIS and she wouldn't because she was wearing her wedding dress, so I finally shouted to her that she looked lovely and would she please jump…"

The other half of Gandalf's mind was busy perusing his friend and making note of all of the little things he found a bit disturbing. It wasn't only the Doctor's physical weakness he took note of. No, there were other signs as well. A certain wariness behind his eyes, an underlying feeling of loss of faith, barely hidden anger and a deep and abiding sadness lay just beneath the surface, along with a deep sense of guilt and self-loathing. Being who he was, Gandalf could sense these things more easily than most could, and he found all of these things plaguing his friend to be most disturbing.

"…trying to tell her I needed something salty, and what does she guess? Harvey Wallbanger! I ask you, Harvey Wallbanger? Really?…"

And there was the matter of the Doctor coming to Imladris. Why Imladris? Usually it was Lothlórien for a bit of rest and relaxation, sometimes a long stay with Tom Bombadil, whom he knew quite well or Bëorn's home but never Imladris.

"…turned out the vespiform had accidentally absorbed Agatha Christie's book as a template for murder…"

And what about the Doctor's friend? The Doctor never, ever brought companions. He worried that the fabric of Middle Earth was too fragile to leave to chance, and companions might pose too much of a risk. He'd said something about…spoilers? Yes, spoilers, whatever those were. So why this companion, and why now?

"…and that's how Donna and I solved the mystery of Agatha Christie. Good old Donna, she was the best."

Gandalf waited until the Doctor had finally run out of babble—he had long ago grown used to it, the way the Gallifreyan could chatter away, half of it nonsense, half brilliant, suddenly stopping and looking at his listeners as if they had begun to drool—and decided to broach the subject of the Doctor's visit.

"Doctor," Gandalf pulled his chair closer to the Doctor's bed. He laid a hand companionably on the Doctor's arm. "I must say you look very ill. Can you tell me what is wrong?"

The Doctor looked his friend in the eye, glanced to the side, finally let his eyes drop to the counterpane, picked at a shoelace. He shook his head 'no' in the smallest of movements. His large brown eyes darkened and his mouth became a grim line.

"Very well," Gandalf said. "Can you tell me how it is that you are here, and with a companion? You never bring companions here."

The Doctor's face took on a stony countenance. He let his eyes flit from one place to the other, anywhere but on Gandalf's face. Finally, he muttered, "TARDIS."

"And your friend?"

"She took me to him, first," he replied.

"And then she brought the both of you here?"

A small nod of the head accompanied by a sullen silence.

"Do you know why?"

Another shake of the head in a silent 'no.'

"She's a clever thing, your TARDIS," Gandalf said gently. "She did not bother to fetch your friend before bringing the both of you here on a whim."

The Doctor shrugged, dismissive. He began to tap on the side of his leg with the flat of his fingers. Tap – tap – tap – tap. Tap – tap – tap – tap. Tap – tap – tap – tap.

Gandalf reached out and covered the Doctor's hand with his own, silencing the tapping. "Very well, then, old friend," Gandalf said gently. "Do you know why the TARDIS wanted your friend here?"

The Doctor sighed. "No," came the answer, so soft, nearly a whisper.

In the silence that followed a courier knocked at the door with precisely four sharp raps. The Doctor's head snapped up and he watched the young elf enter with a message for Elrond, who nodded a silent affirmative. The courier left soundlessly, almost ghostlike. "I believe I have at least a partial answer to that question," said Elrond, stepping closer. "I have seen a shadow on the heart of your friend. You, Doctor, are not the only one in need of help."

"Jack?" The Doctor said. A little line formed between his brows." What's wrong with Jack? He seems well and happy enough to me."

"Perhaps you should question him, Doctor," Elrond said.

Gandalf turned his head and caught Elrond's eye, giving a small nod of approval: give the Doctor something to think about besides his own struggles, and it may well make it easier to get the Doctor to talk about his own.

"I will," said the Doctor. "But when we're alone."

"You should," replied Elrond. "He is a Child of Time, after all."

"How can you know that?" the Doctor asked, voice gone suddenly harsh, eyes gone from a soft, haunted brown to a hard, crackling darkness.

"Have you forgotten Lord Elrond's gift of long-seeing?" Gandalf said.

"Apparently I have," the Doctor replied, a note of bitterness in his voice. "I've forgotten too much, lately," he added darkly.

_He's finally done it, _Gandalf thought. _He's gone too far, I know it in my heart._

This was a problem that would take some time to unravel, then. Gandalf knew better than to push the Doctor too fast and too hard. This was a journey of a few small steps at a time.

"I have a puzzle for you, Doctor," Elrond said. "The message from my courier brought some interesting news for you. My guards have discovered some large chests outside of your blue box, your…TARDIS? I don't recall seeing any there, yet there they were. I'm having them brought to your room. Who put them out there, and what do you suppose is in them?"

"Oh," the Doctor blinked owlishly, rubbing the back of his head and tugging on one ear as if to pull the answer out of it. "Has to be the TARDIS. Now, what is she up to? I know she has a bit of a sense of humor, and she will fetch things for me, but I don't know what the old girl is up to. Jack and I will sort it out."

"You mean _Jack _will sort it out," said Jack, strolling briskly into the room, flanked by Aragorn, Boromir, Merry and Pippin. "What needs sorting, sir?" He shrugged out of his greatcoat and flung it on his bed.

"Seems the TARDIS is delivering our luggage and what not," replied the Doctor. "Chests, Elrond said. Blimey, think she's making flatmates out of us, Jack?"

"That's my gal," Jack grinned.

"She's not, she's mine," said the Doctor. "And why do you get to sort it? Why not me?"

"Said the man who just passed out a little while ago," Jack said, turning those bright blue eyes on the Doctor in a no-nonsense fashion.

"Suppose you're right. Well, then, I'll have to let you do it, won't I?"

"Yes, sir," Jack said. "Tea and soup's on the way, and coffee for me."

"Thanks. You're a good man."

"Thanks, sir, that's what they all say."

"Who?"

"Whoever's on the menu for the night."

"Stop it, Jack. Behave."

"Brought you some company," Jack grinned, looked over his shoulder at his new friends and winked. "Meet Cute and Cuter," he indicated Merry and Pippin.

"Ja-ack!"

"And Handsome and Handsomer," he waved in Aragorn and Boromir's general direction.

"Stop it, Jack. I mean it!"

"Can I keep 'em? Please?"

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at Jack and gritted his teeth. "Now stop it, I mean it. Can't I trust you to behave for more than two minutes? Do you have to flirt with anything that happens to be standing in front of you?"

The new visitors began first to grin, then to laugh.

"Don't," grumbled the Doctor at them. "Just…please…don't…don't…encourage him. I have a hard enough time keeping him in line without that."

"I'm handsomer," Aragorn said to Boromir.

"Hardly," Boromir replied. "That would be me."

Merry and Pippin had begun to squabble as well. _"I'm_ cuter, Pippin."

"Merry, you're the cute one, I'm cuter, everyone knows that."

"I have a headache," groaned the Doctor. He buried his face in his hands.

"Yeah," Jack said. "It's name is 'Jack'."

"Jack," said the Doctor softly. Very, very softly.

"Yeah, angel face?"

"Am I going to see you every time I look in a mirror the whole time I'm here?"

The cocky grin on Jack's face faded. "Point taken, boss." He looked over at Boromir and Aragorn. "He knows that creeps me out."

"That's a good boy." Now it was the Doctor's turn to grin. Jack sulked. The Doctor burst out with laughter. "I got you that time, Jack Harkness, yes I did, the look on your face!"

"See what I have to put up with?" Jack snarked, looking at Merry and Pippin. "Never lets me have _any _fun."

"Now, Jack," grinned the Doctor. "You know I'd never do that to you. Much."

Jack snorted.

"Oh, come on, Jack! I was only taking the piss, I'd never do that to you, you know that! Not that a good time out in a mirror wouldn't serve you right."

"Watch it, angel face. I'm still wearing a belt."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Serve _you _right." Jack let the Doctor sit and stare, slack jawed at his remark for a moment before giving the Doctor a wink. "Ah, just in time, tea's up," he said, then went to the door and took the tea tray from the cook's assistant. "And eat every bit of that soup, please. And here's my coffee! Oh, this is so _good_."

"Jack loves his coffee," the Doctor said to no one in particular. "Thanks for all this," he said to Jack. "And you're right, I do need to eat."

"No problem, sir." Jack placed the tea tray beside the Doctor's bed.

He sat up and began to eat. It would have been impossible for anyone in the room not to notice Jack watching every spoonful, a look of relief on his tired face. By the time he had finished his coffee the chests arrived. Jack hefted one to the far side of the room and flipped open the top. "Your med kit is in here," he said. "Jeeze, half the Med bay is in here, what the hell? And my… perception filter? Why that?" He pocketed this last, which appeared to be a simple key. "Your blue suit, your pajamas, red Converse trainers, socks, shorts…my trunks? Must be a place to swim around here. Haven't used these trunks since we went to Woman Wept!"

The Doctor nearly choked on his tea. "Remember the Judoon in the Speedo?"

"Not a good look." Jack laughed. "Let's see, she sent you some bananas! How sweet of her. And…hello? Why did she send my notes? My black jeans, my favorite blue shirt! I love that shirt. Hmmm," he picked up several boxes and stacked them by the Doctor's bed. "You're gonna deal with those."

"My toolboxes? Why did she send my toolboxes? Just put them on that table over there."

"No way, you yelled at me the last time I messed with them. _You_ put them over there."

"I yelled?"

"For an _hour."_

"Hmm," the Doctor looked puzzled. "Must have been a Tuesday."

"You yelled for an hour every Tuesday for a _month_. So no."

"We're being very rude, ignoring our guests."

"Rude is normal for you, entertain them, I'm busy."

"Leave it for later, Jack, come on, you're not my servant."

"Just doing my job."

"We seem to be short one chair," the Doctor observed, counting heads. He dug into the pocket of his long tan coat, pulled out a collapsing chair and set it up.

"How did you fit that in there?" Pippin's eyes went wide with wonder.

"Dimensionally transcendent pockets," replied the Doctor.

"Show off," said Jack. "His pockets are bigger on the inside is what he's saying. Have a seat, everyone, let's hear some stories! My wizard tells great stories."

"Your wizard? Jack, what a nice compliment!" the Doctor grinned.

"Don't let it go to your head, boss. Oh, look! Hypervodka! Party time!"

Hours later Gandalf and Elrond stood nearby, surveying the goings-on. Gimli and Legolas had joined in. To the embarrassment of Legolas and the everlasting amusement of Gimli, the Doctor very pointedly didn't bother trying to keep Jack from flirting with Legolas. Glasses of wine, beer and Jack's own glass of hypervodka were filled again and again. The Doctor munched on a banana while Jack related a story. The room had fallen into a mess.

"..so when I told her that she'd hurt my feelings, she said, 'But Jack, you don't _have _any feelers.' Now there are little Jack-shaped pupae all over the Lotchke peninsula."

"So you bred a new race on a bet, Jack?" the Doctor said around a mouthful of banana. "That is so wrong."

"Doc, they're gorgeous, big yellow butterflies, and all of them with my blue eyes."

"I've seen them. Wondered how that came about…"

Gandalf smiled. "Everyone seems to be getting on. Too bad Frodo isn't quite well enough to visit, and Sam will never leave his side."

"Soon enough," Elrond said. "I went to visit the blue box a few minutes ago. When I touched it, it…_she…_and she is definitely a she, seemed to speak to me. It was remarkable, and fruitful, as well."

"Really? What did she say?"

"Firstly, while the Doctor needs to talk to us, it isn't us the Doctor needs to talk to so much as he needs to talk to Jack, and the same applies the other way around. There's much left unsaid between the two of them." Elrond reached into a pocket and drew out a vial. "Also, she said to let the Doctor try this." He held up the vial: the Cordial if Imladris.

"No time like the present," Gandalf said with a wide smile.

Elrond crossed the room, took a goblet and poured some of the contents of the vial into it, taking it to the Doctor himself.

The Doctor sat, watching Jack show their friends his perception filter. Jack slipped it (it was still on the rough twine the Doctor had originally put it on) around his neck.

"Okay, now look at me," he said. "What do you see?"

"That's…odd," Boromir said. "As if I see you, but I simply don't want to know you're there."

"More like when you're in love with someone," the Doctor said.

"And they don't even know you exist." Jack finished, looking at the Doctor with an unreadable expression.

Elrond handed the Doctor the goblet. "I think you should try this," he said. "It's Miruvor."

The Doctor had changed into his pajamas and had spent much of the evening lounging lazily (or tiredly) on his bed. He sat up and took the goblet, examining the contents with eyes and nose. He even put his ear to the goblet as though listening before tasting it. He swished a mouthful around in his mouth and swallowed. His brows shot up. "Hello," he said, actually talking to his drink. "What's that? What are you? Oh, you are beautiful, you are!" He fished his sonic out of the pocket of his robe and turned it on. The buzz caught Jack's attention. "Jack, look at this!"

Jack sat on the bed beside the Doctor and looked at the readings. "You're going to have to explain that," he said. "If it were a device I could make it out, but I'm not as up on chemical composition as I should be."

"Well, Gallifeyans don't have serotonin, but we have something like it. See the reading on that molecule, just there? Hello, beautiful little molecule! It's unique, not only to Middle Earth, but to this area. It acts like a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and will block the transport of serotonin like chemicals in my brain back into the presynaptic cell. This action increases the concentration of the serotonin-type chemicals in the synaptic cleft, increasing stimulation of the postsynaptic cells. So it's…"

"Time Lord Prozac?"

"Pin a medal on that man!" the Doctor grinned, pointing the sonic at Jack. "I can synthesize this! That's why the TARDIS sent half the Med bay to my room, Jack! I'll have to start with small doses and work my way up. I'll have to take blood samples every few days until I get it right…but Jack, this _will_ work!"

They locked eyes, brown and blue, and laughed loudly. "We got you a treatment! Who do I kiss for this?" Jack said.

"That would be Elrond, but…no, Jack. Just, no."

"Too bad, he deserves one," Jack said.

Elrond loosed a sigh of relief.


	6. Chapter 6

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: All LotR universe belongs to whomever it belongs to and not to me. Same for Dr. Who/Torchwood. If they were mine I wouldn't be writing it, I'd be living it. I own nothing.

Sadly un-beta read. Anyone? Anyone?

"Doc, my head." Jack groaned.

"Serves you right for hitting the hypervodka so hard last night."

"Fix me up?"

"Be right with you."

He had slept eight hours straight and was sure he had broken the record for length of sleep in the history of all Gallifrey. The Miruvor had worked wonders straight away in that regard, though it did give him a stuffy nose. None of his other problems had changed, but the hope it held helped him to drag himself out of bed; try to sort himself. That beautiful little molecule shone like a beacon for him.

He filled a hypospray syringe with hangover cure for Jack, walked over to his bed and sat down hard. Deliberately. Jack groaned again. He pressed the hypospray against the skin on Jack's neck and inwardly nodded with satisfaction at the hiss of the delivery. He went back to further scan his blood and was alarmed at how he'd let himself go nutrition-wise. He prepared a hypospray for himself to supplement the deficit of vitamins, minerals and androgens and administered it in his thigh. He looked around at the Med bay equipment scattered about the room and knew he'd hear no end of grumping from Jack for being such a messy person. It was true. He _was _messy. Always had been. At least this particular regeneration was.

Among other things.

He changed into his brown suit and tossed his pajamas on the bed. "Get up, Jack, I want some tea and…whatever they have that goes with tea for breakfast."

"Yes sir," Jack croaked, dragging himself out of bed, stretching and yawning, the hangover cure apparently doing its job. His black hair stuck out all over his head. The Doctor pointed the way to the basin of water, which sat on a table; it was as good as grooming got in the room. Jack wouldn't complain, though. After all, he was a veteran of both world wars and could easily make do.

They walked side by side, Jack in his greatcoat, the Doctor in his tan one, both with hands jammed in pockets.

"Head better, now?" the Doctor asked.

"Getting there," Jack said. "How about you, sir? How are you today?"

"I slept eight hours," the Doctor said.

" I see," Jack said. "This is you not answering the question."

"I'm fine, Jack. You don't have to coddle me."

"Not coddling you," Jack said warily. Was this going to be a difficult day? Pity, after yesterday and last night. "Just checking is all."

"Leave it, Jack," the Doctor snapped, then immediately felt guilty for it. "Sorry. It'll be better once I get my meds at a working level."

"That's okay," Jack said, managing an understanding smile. "You've had a hard time of it lately."

"No, it's not okay, I shouldn't bite your head off, it's just that…" The Doctor seemed to run out of words.

He'd been doing that a lot, and that worried Jack. This one, out of words? That sat with Jack about like an introspective magpie. A quiet Doctor is an oxymoron.

"Think we could lay hands on a basket or something?" asked the Doctor. "I wouldn't mind a bit of quiet this morning, if we hang around here someone is sure to show up. They'll want to talk. I'm just not in the mood."

"I'll do my best, sir."

Now, having found a quiet spot not too far from the kitchens (Jack had gotten a tip from an attendant) they sipped coffee and tea and munched on something resembling scones that had mixed berries baked in them.

"How's your head?"

"Better," Jack said, brushing crumbs from the lapel of his greatcoat. "Thanks, I almost feel human."

"And what about the rest of you?"

"Umm, fine?" Jack replied, wondering where that came from.

"Oh, I'd love to believe that." The Doctor locked eyes with Jack. "Only I can't, and you know why."

"Maybe you should let me in on it," Jack said, and a look of guardedness crossed his face.

"Oh, come on, now, you know as well as I do that the TARDIS wouldn't have taken me to you first without a reason."

"She did have a reason. Her Time Lord needed a friend."

"Her Time Lord needed Miruvor. She could have brought me here on her own. And I don't think she stopped in Cardiff to refuel."

"As it happens, I wasn't in Cardiff."

"What?"

"As it happens," Jack said, his eyes darkening. "I was on Bellaco VI. You thought you were in Cardiff? Were you that far gone?"

"I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about you."

"Oh, you can talk, you're a real pro at that little game. So talk to yourself," Jack snapped.

The Doctor asked softly, "Why weren't you in Cardiff?"

"Call it a vacation. Call it going on a binge. Call it whatever the hell you like."

"Jack? What about Torchwood?" The Doctor's eyes grew darker then, piercingly determined.

"What about it? I left."

"Only we both know you wouldn't just leave Torchwood," The Doctor had grabbed this thing, now, and Jack knew he wouldn't let it go. "You wouldn't even leave it when I asked you to come with me after the Master…"

"And God knows if ever I _did_ decide to leave the first thing I'd do is go swanning off to look for _you._ You arrogant bastard, I spent better than a hundred and thirty years waiting on you. Even after _that_, you abandoned me _again._ You _left_ me on the Game Station with nothing for company but the _dead,_ you left me _again_ after the battle of Canary wharf. But even _that_ wasn't enough! After _that…_when you came to Cardiff and I tried to come to you, what did you do? You took off and ran all the way to the end of the universe, and all I could do was stow away outside the TARDIS and ride through the damned _vortex _screaming your name! And once you landed on Malcassairo, what did you do when you saw me? You stood there like some damned statue made of _ice._ Said you could hardly stand to look at me. Said I was, if memory serves, 'Wrong', I shouldn't exist. So of _course, _if I decide to leave Torchwood, God only knows the _first_ thing I would do is look for _you._"

He looked as if Jack had struck him then; Jack's anger suddenly subsided "You're right, of course." The Doctor said in a near whisper. He swallowed hard and stared at his shoes. "I deserved that. I did all those things. And yes, I'm a bastard for treating you that way. After everything you've done for me, after all your selflessness, I treated you like dirt. I think our roles have reversed. It has to be hard for _you_ to even look at _me_ now."

"Oh, hell, I'm sorry, Doc," Jack said, his voice shaky, and it didn't help that he sounded like a little boy trying to win his father's approval. "I'm the one that's a bastard, kicking you when you're down. Please say you forgive me…"

"I should be saying that to you and we both know it." He swallowed hard again.

Jack gently laid a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "Don't, Doc. Please don't. If you cry I swear I'll shoot myself in the head about fifty times."

That brought a wry little laugh from the Doctor.

Jack pulled him into a hug. The Doctor didn't bother to struggle or shrug him off. Worse, he grasped the lapels of Jack's greatcoat in white-knuckled desperation, his entire body shaking. "Just for once in your life, Doc," Jack said softly. "Just this once, shut up and listen to me. I can't really talk about Torchwood right now. I'm not in a good place in my head. But you were right to prod at me about it. And don't you beat yourself up for any of that, don't you dare.

"Every single companion you have has somebody except Donna, and she can't remember you. All you have right now to yourself, to nobody but yourself, is the TARDIS and me. For once, for just this once, I've got a chance to do something for you all by myself, and _I_ want to be the one who helps _you_ for a change. Sure, you did all those things, but you had your reasons, and we both know that, too. And you've been so, so sick. You should be able to depend on me as a friend. I'll tell you about Torchwood, I will, I promise. I just can't do it right now."

The Doctor did pull away from him now, looking at Jack incredulously. "How can you say that? Do you honestly think you've never helped me before? You could have left me on the_ Valiant _and gone with Martha, and I wouldn't have blamed you. But you stayed. You stayed _knowing_ what would happen to you, that the Master would have his fun killing you at first. And then he'd get tired of it and just torture you, knowing you wouldn't die of it. For a year, you lived in chains with him at your throat every day. Knowing he wasn't really interested in you except as a means to hurt me. He tortured you day in and day out for a _year_. And you _knew_ he would do that and you _still_ gave Martha your vortex manipulator and you stayed, just to be near me, just in case you got a chance to help me. _Help me for once?_ Jack, you've always been a help to me!"

"This is different, Doc. You made me see I could be a better man. That was personal. Now I get a chance to help you on a personal level."

"Just so you know, you're doing a good job of it. And don't let me tell you otherwise."

"No sweat, Mood Swing Lord," Jack grinned.

"Blimey, I don't how you've put up with me this last little while."

"Easy. It's because you're just so damned cute."

"Why, thank you, yes, I am."

"Want some more tea?

"That would be nice."

He took the Doctor's tea cup and his own coffee cup. "Be right back, sir."

After finishing their drinks, they decided to walk around a bit. After all, this was Rivendell. They wanted to see if it was as beautiful a place as they thought it might be.

It was. They spent the morning getting lost in rich tapestries, beautiful statuaries and breath-taking scenery. Music and poetry, paintings and sculptures, they drank it all in like a heady wine. Slowly strolling through golden gardens overtook them, the sights and fragrances a near head-spinning experience. The Doctor began babbling, something about there being an intangible healing ambiance caused by the psychic abilities of the elves when they rounded a corner and saw him: Frodo Baggins.

Frodo Baggins, and the Ring.

Jack had wondered how this event would play out. He had expected a friendly mutual introduction. He had expected the Doctor to be fascinated by the Ring, going into full chatterbox mode, maybe even wanting to buzz it with the sonic.

That's not exactly how it went down.

The first thing that happened was an extreme physical reaction. The Doctor staggered, as unsteady on his feet as a new colt. He let out a guttural sound, almost animal-like. Fear shot through Jack's middle. He had never seen the Doctor react to anything like this, his respiratory bypass kicking in full throttle. His face was paper white, sweat popped out on his forehead. And Gallifreyans, he'd been told, didn't really sweat.

"Help me move away," the Doctor groaned. "Move me back a few steps. _Gah,_ it hurts! " Jack did as he was asked. "Much better," the Doctor said. "You're Frodo Baggins," he said to Frodo.

"I am, and this is Sam Gamgee." Frodo was awfully pale himself, looking terribly concerned for the Doctor. "Your friend," he said to Jack, "Does he need help? I can send Sam..?"

"No, no, it's quite all right," the Doctor said. "I just can't get too near you. It's the Ring." Now the sonic came out. The Doctor turned it in Frodo's direction and buzzed the Ring. "Jack, look at this thing," he said. "It's like a neural net with multiple species set as the template. And it's trans-dimensional."

Jack looked at the readings over the Doctor's shoulder. "Worse than that," Jack said. "It's sentient. And psychic. Raise your shields, Doc. You can bet your ass mine are up right now. I can feel it trying to get in."

"Oh, that is one nasty presence in that thing," the Doctor said. He shuddered. He pulled a pair of 3-D glasses out of his pocket and put them on. "Oh, now that is not good." He took off the glasses and handed them to Jack. "Take a look at that. It's like rift particles."

Jack put them on and looked at Frodo. Black, granular specks seemed to float around him like malignant little flies, thickly concentrated in the area of the Ring, but some were actually clinging to Frodo himself.

"Ugh! What _is_ that?" Jack grimaced.

"That's bits of the Void," the Doctor said. "The Eternals called it The Howling. Others call it Hell. That's why it looks so black. It's pure emptiness, except it's not. Whatever entity is in that Ring has bonded itself to those bits of the Void. And I'll tell you something else, Jack." The Doctor spoke softly now, careful not to be overheard. "This place is crawling with fixed points. In fact, all of the members of the Fellowship are associated with fixed points, all but one."

"Which one?

"Pippin Took. Oh, yeah, wouldn't you know it? We-ell, why shouldn't he be. He's a Took."

They were standing about fifteen feet from Frodo and Sam. Jack saw Sam watching them and his heart went out to him. "Hi, Captain Jack Harkness, and this is my wizard, the Doctor. Don't worry, we mean you no harm. My wizard has been sick and we're here for a visit to get him better."

Sam looked at them suspiciously, giving Jack a taste of what he must look like when he was with the Doctor. "What just happened?" Sam moved forward a step.

"It's the Ring," said the Doctor. "I hadn't counted on it attacking me. It doesn't like me, not one little bit, and it's not too fond of Jack, either."

"How do you know about the Ring?" Sam asked, suspicion thick in his voice.

"Because I'm different."

"Different? What makes you so special?"

"It's because I'm the Doctor and I'm very clever."

"Jeez, Doc," Jack said. "You really do need a rude-ometer." He turned to Sam. "He's a special kind of wizard, and things affect him in ways not like anyone else. He can read minds, look into them. Which means things can get into his mind, too, unless he's very careful. I can do that a little, but nowhere near like him. I can feel the Ring trying to get in my head. It doesn't like me because, well, I'm different, too. But the Doctor…I think the Ring doesn't just not like him. I think it _wants _him. If the Doctor ever put that thing on it would probably destroy all of creation."

"Couldn't be more right, Jack." The Doctor said. "That thing, it's almost like it's skipping the seduction and going straight for outright rape. That's why it hurts."

"We can still be friends," Jack said to Frodo and Sam. "But we can't get too close. And we should have time to prepare ourselves if we're going to be around each other. You, Sam, you're okay, I'm not getting anything bad from you. Frodo is another matter."

"I think," Frodo sad, "I think, no, I'm sure you're right. It's affecting me, too. It feels like the Ring would have me run from you. Jack, isn't that right? You're name is Jack? But your wizard…the Ring wants me to hate him. It wants me to hurt him. But don't worry, now I know what it's doing I know to be very careful."

"I'd shake your hands if I could," Jack said. "Hard to do from this distance. So…" He bowed. "Good to meet you both, Frodo and Sam. I'm sure the Doctor would bow, but the shape he' in right now, especially with the Ring around, he'd probably fall over."

"Sorry," said the Doctor.

"Now, no need to apologize," Sam said. "It's not the fault of either of you. And at least the Ring can't be so sneaky with the two of you. And you, there, Jack. I think we two understand each other quite a bit. We should have a beer together and a nice talk."

"I'd like that," Jack said, smiling.

Jack felt a tug at the sleeve of his greatcoat. "Don't…don't leave me, Jack. Not when that thing is so close to me. You do and I'll go hide in the TARDIS and never come out. Please, please don't leave me."

Jack looked at the Doctor and felt almost numb with shock at the Doctor practically begging Jack not to leave him. Because that was a first. For someone as desperate for companionship as this incarnation was, the Doctor was pretty emotionally distant, for all his craving physical contact. Practically begging anyone to not leave him, even Rose, was something that just didn't happen.

Not with this one.

Not ever.

The Doctor started that damn tapping, four distinct taps, over and over, on Jack's arm, clutching the fabric of his greatcoat with his free hand. And Jack saw that he was afraid, afraid of what could happen if the Ring ever got to him. Worse, afraid for himself. It was like a slap in the face for Jack. His protective urges washed over him, shot through him.

He looked more closely at the Doctor. This Time Lord, the one the Daleks called Destroyer of Worlds, Oncoming Storm, called by others the Lonely God, resembled nothing more and nothing less than a terrified little boy. Jack put an arm around him and tucked him close to his side. "It's all right, Doc. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave you. That thing will get to you over my dead body. And knowing how that works for me? Well, it damned well better pack a lunch, because it'll have a long day trying that." The Doctor smiled at Jack's joke. His eyes were soft brown wells of gratitude. It broke Jack's heart.

"Thanks, Jack. Thanks," he said, his voice shaky with fear.

Sam watched as Jack patiently calmed his wizard. "Come on, Jack," Sam said. "Let's find somewhere and get these two off their feet for a bit. The pair of us have our work cut out for us, don't we?"

"Yeah," Jack said, smiling fondly at Sam, his blue eyes bright with emotion. "But it's good work, if you can get it."

"That it is," Sam smiled back. "That it is."


	7. Chapter 7

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: All LotR universe belongs to whomever it belongs to and not to me. Same for Dr. Who/Torchwood. If they were mine I wouldn't be writing it, I'd be living it. I own nothing.

Sadly un-beta read. Anyone? Anyone?

* * *

"Sir," Jack said. "You sure you're up to this?"

"I'll do well enough," answered the Doctor. "Just don't leave me. I can't miss the chance to speak with the Ringbearer, himself, and I'll never get another opportunity. You just can't leave me alone with that thing so close is all."

"Does it frighten you that much?"

"Absolutely."

"You don't trust yourself around it?"

"Not at all," The Doctor said, careful to keep Jack between himself and Frodo.

"I can't see what my presence has to do with you resisting the Ring."

"Because if you weren't with me it would provoke Frodo into something rash, make me think I have to take the Ring from him, to protect myself or protect him from the Ring. It would go into full-on attack. It knows how much I need to help people. It knows how driven I am to change things. It will use that. It would make me completely insane. And the universe doesn't need any more mad Time Lords."

"So, I'm your body armor against this thing."

"Yep." The Doctor said, popping the 'p.' (He rather liked plosives.)

"What could I possibly do to stop it?"

"Not what you do, Jack, it's what you are."

"My, shall we say for lack of a better term, condition."

"Yep, that's it." The Doctor said. "Remember how I said your presence affected me?"

"Wish I didn't. Affect you. Also remember it."

"Well, you were right. I _was _prejudiced. Wouldn't even give myself a chance to build up a resistance to it. Which I am, by the way. Anyway, on point, the Ring sees you the same way that I do. It senses you've traveled through time and space and been through the vortex. It senses you've lived near a pretty powerful rift for thousands of years. And it knows you're a fixed point, an Event more than anything else. To any consciousness sensitive to these things, you're like a gigantic obelisk blotting out the center of the universe. It sees you as impervious and immovable. It knows you're pan-dimensional, pan-temporal and pan-galactic, and because of that, I think it's afraid you could destroy it on the spot."

"Did I affect you like that?"

The Doctor fell silent, and Jack saw him close part of himself off.

"Damn, no wonder you ran. I get it now, Doc. But you said you're building up a resistance to it?"

The closed part of the Doctor seemed to open back up with a gentle smile and a nod. It was times like these Jack found himself feeling both irritated and amazed. Amazed because the Doctor wasn't human, even though he seemed it. He was so very human seeming, you'd just forget. And then something gives you a reminder. It made him special and different. And for those exact, same reasons it was irritating.

"Why does it want you, in particular?" Jack said. His train of thought had led right into the worry terminal. He couldn't believe the Doctor wanted to risk being around the Ring.

"Time Lord, TARDIS, duh," The Doctor slowed his pace. "Blimey, I really _am_ that rude."

Jack chuckled. "Yes, but don't let that stop you. You're such an…_alien_, sometimes. And that's coming from me!"

"Oi!"

"I see your point, though, a Time Lord Ringwraith. Not a good thing."

"Not only! The TARDIS would just look tacky painted black."

"You aren't just rude, you're seven shades of weird. Rude, weird and cute." Jack said, laughing.

"And still not ginger."

"Seriously, why you in particular."

"Because the whole universe is in my head," the Doctor replied. He tightened his grip on the sleeve of Jack's greatcoat, as if to let go would be to fall away from the earth beneath his trainers. "Because I can see everything that has ever been, or will be, or might be, or might not be. All the time."

Jack stopped, turned, took him by the shoulders. "Then why?" Resisting the urge to shake some sense into his friend, Jack locked eyes with the Doctor. "Why risk yourself like that? You're already having problems! Why risk further damage to your mental health?"

But the Doctor only grinned his slightly manic, mischievous grin, the one that made him look like a kid in a candy store. "Tell you what…"

"What?"

"Middle Earth, Jack!"

Jack couldn't help but laugh. "I _know!" _He turned and continued to walk, the Doctor gripping his coat sleeve: a boat tethered to a ship, or, better yet, a safe harbor. "One of these days that curiosity is going to get you in serious trouble. What will you do then?"

He shrugged. "I guess I'll find out, won't I? I rather like surprises. Surprises are fantastic. Until they aren't… Blimey, I hate it when surprises go all… Looks like Sam is stopping. Oi, Sam! Where are we?"

"This is where Mr. Frodo has been staying." Sam waved in the general direction of one of the smaller structures. "It's where folk go if they get hurt or sick. Who wants tea?"

"I would love some," the Doctor said. "And some coffee for my friend?"

"Elrond should be coming by soon to see to Mr. Frodo, and we were just about to take lunch before he gets here, if you'd care to join us." Sam said. "We got chicken, roast pork, cheese, fruit—"

"Jack," muttered the Doctor, shaking his head _no_, nose wrinkled. "Tell him about…you know."

Jack snorted with laughter. It got him every time the way this mighty Time Lord couldn't even bring himself to say the word unless there was no one to do it for him. "Um, Sam? Would you be so kind as to keep away any pears?"

The lunch turned out to be a strange one, Sam and Jack sitting in the middle, mostly talking about their duties to Frodo and the Doctor, with the Doctor peering around Jack now again to look at the Ring and Frodo becoming uncomfortable each time he did it. Sam felt awkward about it. He liked the Doctor well enough so far, but at the same time, he could tell that the Doctor and Frodo were having a hard time of it. And it was the Ring that was to blame.

He could tell Jack saw what was going on as well, because Jack finally pushed his plate of chicken away, tossed back the rest of his coffee and turned to the Doctor. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea." He said. "Why do you keep_ looking_ at it?"

"I... can't _help_ it. What does it _want?_ I mean, I know what it's for, what it wants to do, but what about _it? _The thing itself, not who it serves. What kind of consciousness _is_ that thing?"

"You aren't going to be able to communicate with it, Doc. Stop trying to help! It's just going to get to you that way."

"But, but…"

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, like Jack says," Sam said. "No offense to you, Doctor, but I think maybe you should stay away until after the Ring has been taken care of. Then we can have a nice visit."

The Doctor sighed and scratched his ear. "I suppose you're right," he finally said. "I really, really wanted to talk to Frodo. Frodo Baggins! Well, at least we did get to meet. Tell you what! After you get everything sorted, we'll come for a visit. What do you say, Jack? Tea at Bag End, say a year or so from now? Slow Path time?"

"Are you asking me out?" Jack grinned.

"No. You never bought me that drink."

"So you'll settle for tea at Bag End, then."

"Yep."

"Deal, angel face."

"A wise decision on the part of you all," said a strange voice.

It was Elrond. No one knew how long he had been standing there." I do _not _think," his eyes flitted across the table from the Doctor to Jack to Sam to Frodo, "that this is in any way a wise thing to do, and for the obvious reasons."

"Yeah, we sort of came to the same conclusion, Ea—"

"Jack!" The Doctor wore that look again. That displeased teacher look. He silently mouthed the words _don't call Elrond 'Ears'._

"Sorry, we came to the same conclusion, Elrond." Jack said politely.

Elrond smiled, enigmatic. The overall feeling was that he felt some amusement at Jack's cheekiness. "Frodo," he said, gesturing for Frodo to go with him. Frodo rose and the two walked to Frodo's sickroom. Sam began tidying up. The Doctor finally let go of Jack's sleeve.

"Jeeze, does everyone here have cotton feet? I never heard him coming." Jack said.

"That's elves for you, Jack." The Doctor smiled and put his feet up on the table. Sam scowled. Jack pushed his feet back off the table. The Doctor sighed. "Yeah, I was being rude again."

"You have to admit, though, Jack," Sam said. "Elves are wonderful folk. Why, if you'd seen Mr. Frodo when we first got here! If your wizard is sick then you brought him to the right place."

Elrond reappeared then. He sat beside the Doctor and Jack, then, looking pointedly at Sam, said, "Frodo is back in bed now. He's still very weak. I think you should see to him."

After Sam had gone, Elrond turned to the immortal and the Time Lord. "I think I should give you both some advice," he said. "Firstly, Doctor, you should take a little Miruvor morning and evening. I think about an eighth of a dram should do. Secondly, I think the pair of you must unburden your hearts. And not just to me or to Gandalf. No, it is far more important that you speak with each other. And I do _not _mean you should speak as in meaningless chatter. Both of your hearts—"

"Both of _my_ hearts?" The Doctor said. "Or do you mean collectively, as in mine and Jack's?"

Elrond pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Gandalf warned me about this sort of thing with you," he said "Collectively, Doctor, I mean collectively!"

"I think he means," Jack said, knowing the TARDIS would interpret the concept for Elrond, "You and me, Doc. Family therapy time."

"Exactly," Elrond said.


	8. Chapter 8

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 9

They walked side by side once more. Yet again, they had jammed their hands in their pockets. Here the resemblance to the relaxed nature of their earlier walk diverged. For one thing they were walking in locked step—left, right, left, right—and at a very brisk pace so that the tails of their long coats billowed behind them. Both scowled.

When Elrond had told them they needed to engage in talk therapy they had both fallen silent, faces schooled to appear unreadable, and simply sat there. And sat there. And sat there again, until Elrond knew he would get nothing else from either of them.

"Very well," he had finally said. "When the both of you have decided to stop behaving like children and do something to help each other and yourselves, I shall be waiting." And with that, he left them.

They had looked at each other then. A stranger may have drawn the conclusion that they were spitting mad at one another. In truth, as they locked eyes, they were entering into an unspoken agreement: there would be no talk therapy, neither of them was any good at what other people called '_sharing'. _Better to avoid, to obfuscate, make a joke, start an argument. Better to just run away.

They would go to the TARDIS, materialize her in their room, gather their things and go. The Doctor could finish synthesizing the Miruvor molecule after they left. And so, off they went in silence, heading toward the TARDIS. Soon they stood outside the blue box. Neither had spoken a single word the whole way. The Doctor got his key out, fit it in the lock and turned it. Nothing happened. No tumblers tumbled—nothing. The key simply spun in the lock 360 degrees. He tried again. This time the key wouldn't even budge. "Hello, what's this, then? Jack, could you try your key? Mine isn't working. Maybe it's a bit bent."

"Will do, sir," Jack replied, fishing his key out of his pocket. The key slid home and…did nothing at all. "What the Hell?"

"She's locking us out," the Doctor said, obviously a little miffed. He laid a hand against the side of the TARDIS. "Old Girl, I know you like a joke as well as the next sentient ship, but this isn't a good time," he said, voice gentle and cajoling. "Please open up for us? Uncle Jack wants you to, don't you Uncle Jack…" Here he looked pointedly at Jack.

"'_Uncle Jack?'_ She calls me Uncle Jack?" said the immortal with a soft chuckle. "Ummm, yeah, okay," he said. "Sure do, gorgeous, please open up for us? Open up for us, sweetheart." He tried his key again. Nothing.

The Doctor tried his yet again. Still nothing. Grumbling under his breath, he fished out his sonic. "Really would rather not do this, Old Girl. You know I always like to be polite to you…_but!" _

He thumbed the control on the sonic, got no results, changed the setting several times. His grumbling became louder and faster with each setting until he was yelling, probably in Gallifreyan since that was the only language the TARDIS wouldn't so much as touch with her translation circuit. At last, he found a setting that worked.

He walked into the TARDIS, and Jack heard, _"Son of a bitch!"_ And with that, the Doctor began to curse—not the mild cursing he occasionally lapsed into, probably to feel he fit in a bit better. (He was never very good at it and obviously felt some discomfort when doing it.) This was full-on cursing with brand new uses for the word _fuck _as well as more than a few other super-charged swear-words, too many to count_._ After he ran out of earth languages, he continued on in any extra-terrestrial language he could think of.

Jack couldn't believe his own ears—the Doctor had _never _used language this foul. He stood, frozen at first with the shock of it, then strode into the TARDIS. He felt he had to calm the Doctor, to stop the string of filth flying out of his mouth—it was nearly painful. Hearing _those_ words falling out of the mouth of the Doctor—_ his _Doctor, his innocent, decent Doctor was, well, it was like hearing an aged and beloved aunt proposition a total stranger on a street corner. What the Hell could be so bad as to cause _that?_

The instant Jack set foot in the TARDIS he understood. Instead of the console room, Jack saw the Doctor standing in the garden adjacent to the swimming pool in the library. The console room was…gone. Simply not there. The TARDIS had moved it. And if she didn't want them to find it, they could spend years on a fruitless quest. Even the Doctor had no idea how big she really was on the inside. Furious, he kicked a low picket fence and called the TARDIS an absolutely disgusting name, and Jack had heard some pretty disgusting names in his day.

"Stop it! Stop using those words! You shouldn't talk to her like that!" he grasped the Doctor by the shoulders and turned him so they stood face to face, hoping to quell his fury at least in some small measure.

"Don't you see?" The Doctor's face was red with anger, his eyes, usually a soft brown, so easily infused with kindness or humor, mischief or sympathy, had turned dark and hard and narrowed to slits. "Look at it! Just look at what this fucking bitch has done! Well, she'd better shape up or I'll bury her alive and laugh while she rots!"

Jack called forth all the resolve he could muster—the frame he held in his hands was so weak from self-starvation, after all, and felt like it could easily be crumpled in his hands like paper— and shook the Doctor. Hard. _"Shut up!" _he roared, "You just _shut up_, damn you, you shut the fuck up!"

And it worked. Jack could see clearly the shock on the Time Lord's face, the hurt in his eyes, no longer hard, dark slits, but large, soft and brown. His eyes spoke clearly now. And they said that Jack had _never_ talked to him like that. Sure, there was the occasional 'bastard' or 'damn you' but never like that. And he had never, _ever_ laid hands on him with such anger; with irritation, with affection, as a friend, yes. But not with the near-rage Jack had just displayed. The anger in the Doctor's face morphed into confusion, from confusion to despair, and just that quickly. It all underlined the reason the TARDIS had brought them here to start with.

"It's because I'm unstable right now, isn't it?" The Doctor muttered, looking into Jack's eyes, searching for answers. "She…she's been afraid. Afraid of _me!"_ His hands went to his horror-stricken face, covering his mouth, as if to snatch back his hurtful, foul words. "Oh, Jack…she's talking to me, right now she's talking to me. She's afraid I'll make her take me into a sun or a black hole or something. Maybe even the void."

"Doc," Jack said, his voice so grim in his ears he nearly didn't recognize the words as his own. "Have you thought of doing any of those things? Don't you lie to me, Doc. Don't you dare."

He kept his eyes firmly locked with the Time Lord's eyes, demanding an answer, and it had to be a truthful one. Finally, shame-faced, the Doctor nodded his head. Jack's heart sank all the way to his shoes. "Oh, God," he gulped. He let go of the Doctor's shoulders only to wrap his arms around the Time Lord's half-starved form, holding him gently but firmly, like a frightened child clings to his parent. "Oh, God, oh, God, no, don't think like that, Doc. We have to get to the bottom of this, that's why the TARDIS won't let us leave. She's not just afraid _of_ you, Doc. She's afraid _for_ you. And so am I."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said. "I'm so, so sorry. I've hurt and worried you both."

"Sorry enough to try Elrond's advice?" Jack said earnestly. "Because after what you just said, I am. I'll do it if you will."

The Doctor silently nodded his consent.

"Good," sighed Jack, feeling his taut muscles relax. He hadn't realized until then that he had been so tensed up that his muscles actually hurt. "You know, I've lost count of how many times I've hugged you today."

"I know," the Doctor said. He smiled gently, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. His hands trembled even more than his body. "I don't mind. It made you feel better. It made _me _feel better. This regeneration likes hugs. In case you didn't notice."

"I did notice," Jack said. "Probably because your last regeneration was a bit distant. Made you need physical contact, I imagine."

"Made me hungry for it," the Doctor said.

"We all noticed it, the rest of your companions and me."

"You mean all of you, all of my Children of Time…you've all been…_blogging _about me?"

"Yep. Shamelessly. Actually talking about you and your hugs." Jack shrugged. "That's what Facebook is for."

"Sorry, I'll try not to—"

"You try not hugging us and you'll get what for from Martha. And Sara Jane. And Micky. And me." Unspoken was the name _Donna._ It hung heavy in the air. The Doctor and Donna had been so close, so very close, as near to his having a human sibling as he would ever get. Rose, well, Rose was in a category all by herself.

"I want to go back to our room now," the Doctor said tiredly. "I guess we'll have to work on this therapy thing or the TARDIS will never let us leave. Not today, though. I feel so worn out."

"Throwing a fit at your TARDIS will do that," Jack smiled. "Come on then, angel face. Much more of this hugging and you might have a situation on your hands."

The Doctor laughed then. "Jack Harkness," he said, "You are incorrigible." Jack felt the TARDIS almost sigh with relief, if a TARDIS could sigh.

Yet again, they walked side-by-side, hands jammed in pockets. But their pace was slower, now, their eyes downcast as they went, both lost in thought. When they got to their room, the Doctor slumped on the edge of his bed while Jack let himself collapse on his own bed face first. He closed his eyes, listening as the Doctor began fiddling with something, probably his medical equipment. Almost imperceptibly, he slipped into sleep.

He woke up from pain in his throat, because nobody can scream like that without it hurting. The Doctor shook his shoulder, trying to bring him out of it.

"Jack, Jack, what's this?" the Doctor said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "That was one really nasty dream you were having."

"Yeah." Jack scrubbed at his face with open hands.

"Anything you want to tell me about?"

Jack sat up and shrugged off the Doctor's hand. "Nah," he said, dismissive. "Just a dream."

"Then why were you yelling, '_where are you, Doctor'?"_

"Was I?" Jack reached under his bed and pulled out his bottle of hypervodka. "I don't remember." Jack didn't bother looking for a cup or a glass to drink from. He turned the bottle up and gulped down a few mouthfuls. His throat, already sore from screaming himself awake, now caught fire from the drink. Part of him was glad that it hurt.

The Doctor simply sat on the side of Jack's bed, hands folded in his lap. His eyes were very large, his mouth drawn small with silent concern. He heaved a sigh. "Are you sure it's a good idea to drink like that this early?"

"Matter of fact, I'm pretty sure it isn't," Jack said. "Giving a damn if it is might be another matter."

The Doctor opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could there was a knock on the door. Oddly enough, Jack noticed the Doctor visibly flinch, closing his eyes tightly. "Three," he said under his breath. "Only three. Good. Good."

The door opened and an elf came in pushing a cart with their dinner on it. He looked at the cluttered tables for an empty spot to set their dishes. Finding no place to put them, he quietly uncovered several platters, leaving everything on the cart.

On a small silver plate sat what looked to be some sort of bread, baked to fragrant perfection, the smell a subtle one of mellow sweetness. "This," said the elf, "Is _lembas. _Usually it is for travelers, and a single bite can keep a grown man or elf going an entire day. Lord Elrond has asked that our guest—the Doctor, isn't it? He has asked that you eat an entire piece with each meal to give you back your strength. Is there anything else we can do for you? No? Very well, gentlemen, enjoy your meal." With that, he soundlessly slipped from the room.

"See?" Jack said. "Cotton feet. How do they do that?"

"They're _elves,_" the Doctor replied, as if that should explain everything. "What have we got? What's this? Roast beef? Roast beef with custard on it? Jack, how nice of you to ask them to make this!"

"Like I said, you'd have to run around in the shower to get wet, you've lost so much weight. Eat up, Doc. Let's see if you can make the clean plate club."

"Do I get a member jacket?"

The challenges of the day fell away then as they ate in comfortable silence. Jack's meal of roast pheasant went down quick and good. He mopped up the last of the juices left behind with a bit of bread and popped it into his mouth, then sat back and watched the Doctor pick at his food. When the Doctor slowed down eating, Jack would loudly clear his throat, eyes flicking from the plate to the Doctor's face. Little by little his food vanished.

"Jack," the Doctor said, looking at him from under hooded eyes. "Do you have to watch me take every bite?"

"Yep," Jack replied. "All of it, Doc. Come on, we have to get you well. How is it?"

"Very good, actually." The Doctor speared the last of his roast beef with his fork, scooping up the last bit of custard at the same time and finished his meal, except for the _lembas. _"I'll eat that in a bit," he said. "Just too full right now. He chased his meal with a dosage of Miruvor, and then poured himself a little water.

"Oh, come on, eat the bread!" Jack fetched his bottle of hypervodka and poured himself a generous drink in his empty wine glass.

"I'll eat it later."

"You'll eat it now, or it'll go stale and then you won't like it. Humor me?"

"Oh, all right," grumbled the Doctor, picking up the _lembas_ and forcing it down, all the time glaring at Jack. "Happy?"

"You'll live," Jack said, tossing back his drink and pouring another. He continued doing this until he was almost at the face-numbing stage of drunkenness when he noticed the Doctor had been sitting very still for some time just looking at his hand. He turned his hand and looked at the other side. Turned it again and examined it as if he'd never seen it before.

"Doc? You okay?"

"Look at my hand, Jack! It feels so…big!"

"What?"

"My hairy, manly hand."

"What?"

"Have you seen the cats?"

"Cats? Doc? What the…"

"There were cats in here a minute ago. I just know it."

"Doc, have you been sneaking hypervodka? Or maybe the Miruvor could be affecting you, but…no, it would have done it before now."

The Doctor got up, knelt by his bed, then looked under it, elbows on the floor and backside in the air. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!" He sat on the floor, legs splayed, looked up at Jack and inexplicably began to giggle. "I feel fantastic. This is grrreat. This feels rrreally grrreat! _ Llllembas_. _Lembas_ is good stuff."

"Doc, what the heck is going on? You were fine until... Oh. The _lembas_." Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. "Who gets stoned on bread, for God's sake! Oh, wait, you do! God, you're so…so… Gallifreyan sometimes. Great! Just great! You're stoned out of your gourd on _lembas_ and I'm drunk. Well, might as well make the best of it!"

"Go get the car. I'm drivin'!"

"I can't believe this."

The Doctor scrambled up and suddenly bolted out of the door at a run. Jack grabbed his bottle of hypervodka and took off after him.

"Shit! Get your narrow ass back here! Oh, I can't wait to tell Martha about this," Jack said, laughing as he ran, which wasn't that easy to do. "Bar the door, Rivendell, the loonies are takin' over the asylum! Doc! Come back here, you little stoner!"

It was going to be a long night.


	9. Chapter 9

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 9

* * *

spoiler warning for the movie The Big Empty starring Sean Bean

* * *

Having finished their evening meal, Boromir had decided to show Merry and Pippin a few pointers in defending themselves. Aragorn had joined them and half-sat, half-leaned on a low stone wall. Close to an hour they had been at it and having a great deal of fun. The stars were only just coming out, and they had decided that this was enough practice for now as it would soon be too dark to see very well. That's when they heard it.

"Oh, look! Look-look-look-look-look!" It was Captain Jack's wizard, the man he called the Doctor, though mostly when addressing the man, he called him "Doc." The Doctor ran towards them, eyes somewhat glazed and grinning ear to ear.

"Quick!" he heard Jack yell. "Grab him, don't let him get away!"

The Doctor seemed to have forgotten how to stop running. This became quite apparent when he slammed into Boromir. The impact rocked the larger man back on his heels, but the Doctor, due to his much slighter build, simply bounced off Boromir and landed hard on his rump. Gasping for breath, he looked up at Boromir with a slightly addled look on his face.

"Look at you!" the Doctor said between gasps. Boromir helped him to his feet. Standing on his toes, the Doctor brought his face so close to Boromir's face that their noses nearly touched. "Oh, you are beautiful, you are! What are you? A construct? Wait, no. No, no, no, I know you, you're…you're…you're that Boromir fellow, that's who you are!"

Boromir tried to think of something to say, which was hard to do with the Doctor's nose now pressed firmly against his own. All he could come up with was a puzzled "Ah… yes?"

"You know, you look just like another chap I know called The Cowboy. Takes earth people into the stars, to live on another world. Works out of Arizona. Wears black leather like you, too. Black leather cowboy hat and a black leather duster. Highly dangerous chap, but he likes me well enough. Should have seen what he did to that Slitheen. Wasn't pretty. Have you seen them?" asked the Doctor.

"Seen what?"

"The cats, the cats! I'm sure they were here a moment ago."

Jack bounded up then, leaning over and resting a hand on one knee. In the other hand he gripped a bottle of, what did he call it? Hypervodka, yes, that was it. He gasped for breath just as the Doctor had. "Fast for a sick man, isn't he?" Jack was grinning ear to ear as well. "Whatever you do, do not, repeat not, let him get away. He's not himself just now. Come to think of it, neither am I!"

Never removing the tip of his nose from Boromir's, the Doctor said, "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!"

Boromir grasped the Doctor by his shoulders and gently pushed him back. This made it a little easier to talk, since having a wizard smashing his nose against your own nose whilst attempting to summon possibly non-existent cats tended to make it a little difficult to carry on a conversation. "What is wrong with him? Has he been tippling?"

"Nothing is ever that simple with this one," Jack said. "Elrond gave him _lembas_."

"_Lembas?"_ Boromir's eyebrow raised just a fraction.

"Yeah…seems Doc can't handle it," Jack said. "Makes him a bit…well, you see, don't you?"

"_Lembas!" _Boromir said, "Truly?"

"_Llllllembas! Lembas_ is grrreat. But what happened to the cats?" the Doctor began looking around. He spotted Merry and Pippin. "Have you seen them?"

"Oh, dear," Pippin said. "Fatty Bolger once found some funny mushrooms. They made him act like that. Remember that, Merry?"

Merry laughed. "How can I forget it? We were up with him all night. He kept talking about the trees waving their leaves at him. He thought they were making fun of him."

"They probably were," said the Doctor. "Trees can be awfully mischievous like that." He looked at Jack. "I thought I told you to get the car!"

Jack turned up the bottle of hypervodka, took a drink, and then offered it to Boromir. "Doc, you need a car about like…something that…really shouldn't have a car."

Boromir, feeling adventurous, decided to try Jack's drink. He took a healthy swallow and grabbed his throat. "Isildur's teeth, man, what is this? Some sort of wizard's brew?"

"You could say that," Jack said.

It was during this exchange that the Doctor made good his chance to escape. He really could, Boromir observed, run fast indeed for a sick man. They all took off after him, following his shouts of "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!"

Aragorn caught up to him first. He almost, but not quite managed to snag a once-white Converse All Star trainer as the Doctor clambered up an apple tree. If anyone else besides a hobbit had tried it the branches would have broken, but due to his slight weight the Doctor was able to scale it quite easily and seemed to be fine until he reached the thinner branches. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!"

"You really ought not climb those smaller branches," Aragorn advised.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," the Doctor began bouncing up and down on a particularly spindly branch. It creaked and cracked ominously. "See?"

"Don't let him—" cried Pippin.

Crack! The branch broke. Aragorn scrambled to his left and managed to catch the Doctor, along with the branch, which thumped him squarely atop his head.

"—fall," Pippin finished, wincing.

The rest of the group surrounded them. Still in Aragorn's grip, the Doctor proceeded to rifle through his pockets. He found Aragorn's pipe.

"Oh, you really shouldn't, you know," he said.

"Why am I letting him go through my pockets?" Aragorn asked himself.

"Most people generally let him get away with anything," Jack answered, shrugging. "I don't understand it either, and he's been doing it to me for ages."

Aragorn put the Doctor on his feet and tried to take back his pipe. The Doctor snatched it away. "How do you work this thing?" He put it to his lips and blew. Hard. Aragorn wished fervently he had cleaned his pipe then, since he was wearing the remnants of his last bowl on his face. This time he managed to grab his pipe.

"You," he scolded, "are a danger to yourself and half of Middle Earth."

"I bet you say that to all the Time Lords," said the Doctor, grinning widely.

Jack, face a picture of sympathy, handed his bottle to Aragorn. Never hesitating, he took a quite sizable drink. "Now I know why you drink this stuff," he said to Jack.

"Here, lizard, lizard, lizard!" The Doctor began looking under various shrubs.

"I thought you were looking for cats," Merry said.

"How silly of you," said the Doctor. "Although cats are quite a bit like lizards. Well, except for the scales. And the cold blood. And the skeletal configuration. And the nervous system. And the reproductive system. Well, they're almost like cats. Well, they really aren't like cats at all. Here, lizard, lizard, lizard!"

"Maybe we could distract him," Pippin suggested.

"With what?" Merry said with just a touch or sarcasm, "More _lembas?"_

"More _llllllembas!" _said the Doctor dreamily. _"Lllembas_ is rrreally grrreat."

"Oh, no, you most certainly will _not_ look for more _lembas!"_ Boromir said, grabbing the Doctor by the back of his coat just as he was about to take off again. "You need more of that about as much as elves need better complexions." He dragged the Doctor to a nearby bench. Pointing at it sternly, he said, "Sit!"

The Doctor sat. "What about the lizards?"

"The lizards will keep as they are. Stay."

"But…"

"_Stay!"_

The Doctor crossed his arms and glared at Boromir with mutiny in his eye. "You," he said, pointing at Boromir, "Have quite a gob on you for a construct."

"I will 'construct' you in a minute," Boromir said, turning to Jack. "Will he stick me in a mirror for this tomorrow, do you think?"

Jack shrugged mischievously. "You're pretty good at Doctor-wrangling, maybe you should come with us when we leave." He passed the bottle to Boromir. Boromir took a drink and passed it to Aragorn, who took another drink as well. And of course, Merry and Pippin had to have some.

"I have only one thing to say to all this abuse," the Doctor said.

"And what might that be?" Boromir asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Bye!" And with that he took off yet again.

Jack blew air noisily and snorted, rolling his eyes drunkenly. Aragorn groaned. Boromir growled. Merry and Pippin laughed.

"Here, lizard, lizard, lizard! Hello, what are _you?_ Aren't you just amazing! Fantasic! _Molto bene!"_

They followed his voice and found him perched like an ungainly bird on a graceful statue bearing a large, leaf-shaped platter on which rested the Sword That was Broken. He had his sonic out, furiously fiddling with the settings.

"What under heaven are you _doing?" _Aragorn growled. He tried to grab the Doctor, but the Time Lord scurried away like a squirrel.

"I was just going to engrave it for you!" he said, clearly insulted that his intentions had been misread, at least as he saw it.

"With what?" Aragorn made another grab. Again, the Doctor somehow managed to scurry away.

"Your _names_," the Doctor said defensively. "You know! Aragorn, Strider, Wingfoot, Longshanks, Estel, Telcontar, Thorongil, Elessar…blimey, how many names does one bloke need?"

"You so much as scratch that sword and I'll name you well enough!" He made another grab. The Doctor dodged, but by that time, Boromir and Jack had flanked him. Jack grabbed him around his waist while Boromir seized a leg; they pulled him down from the statue, which he clung to like a kitten to a tree branch, sonic clenched between his teeth and gangly legs wrapped around the statue's arm. It took some doing to get him down without hurting him. "I…I can put that back together, you know!" He sounded somewhat put out.

This time, when they passed the bottle they were careful to keep a hold on him. On the second go-round he tried to take a drink himself, but Jack managed to snatch it away from him.

"I think we should try to put him to bed," suggested Aragorn.

"Good idea," Jack agreed. "But there's no way I can keep an eye on him by myself. Want to come along and keep us company?"

"Gladly," said Boromir.

"That would have to be easier than chasing him all over the place," Pippin said.

"And it would be better than waiting until Elrond got wind of all this," Merry said agreeably.

"But I don't want to go to bed!" the Doctor suddenly sagged between Boromir and Jack like a recalcitrant two-year-old, making it almost impossible to hang on to him.

"Stop whining," Jack scolded.

"I'm _not_ whining," said the Doctor in a tone that clearly contradicted that statement. "Time Lords do not whine."

"Obviously they do," noted Aragorn.

"Anyway, I'm hungry." The Doctor looked from one to the other, seeking a sympathetic ear. "Really, really very hungry. I'd love something sweet. Anybody got any biscuits? Biscuits would be lovely. The ones with raspberry jam in them? Those ones are so good."

"Hang on, everyone!" Jack said. He wobbled a little. "Doc says he's hungry, I say we feed him."

"We could get some toast and jam for you," offered Pippin.

"Oh, I knew one of the hobbits would understand!" The Doctor smiled gratefully. "Hobbits know all about being foody. That's a funny word, foody. But it works."

"Would you like some tea as well?" Merry aasked.

"See? Hobbits, Jack! Aren't they fantastic?"

Jack sighed. "I guess that couldn't hurt, as long as it's not more _lembas."_

"We'll meet you back in your room, then," said Pippin. With that, he and Merry took off at a trot toward the kitchen to raid the pantry.

The Doctor beamed. "Brilliant! Fantasic! Wonderful! _Mmmmolto bene!"_

"Hang onto him," Jack advised. "He's a tricky prisoner. Famous for it."

"So I have seen," Aragorn said, noting Jack wobbling a bit more. He moved to Jack's side of the Doctor and, taking a firm grip on the Time Lord's arm, said, "I think perhaps I should take over this duty for you, you seem to be rather deep in your cups."

"Be my guest," Jack said. "Leaves my hands free to smack him on the back of the head if he tries anything."

The Doctor looked at Jack accusingly. "Jack! You would smack me on the back of the head?"

"Your choice, Doc," Jack leered. "Back of the head or that cute little bottom?"

The Doctor tried to cover his backside with his hands defensively. He glared at Jack suspiciously. Still sagging, he looked up at Boromir with large, sad eyes. "Don't let him hit me? Make him walk in front."

"Stand up and walk properly first," Boromir countered.

The Doctor meekly did as Boromir asked, but Jack wasn't so drunk as to not feel a glimmer of suspicion when the Doctor continued giving Boromir the puppy-dog-eye treatment. High or not, the wily Time Lord was up to something.

"Better?" the Doctor asked Boromir, smiling sweetly.

"Certainly," Boromir agreed. "Jack, to the front, if you please."

"I'm telling you, you better watch him, he's tricky." Jack took the lead, but as they walked, he continuously shot a glance back at the three behind him.

"Thank you, Boromir," the Doctor said. "You're a very decent fellow, you are."

"'Twas nothing," Boromir smiled back at the Doctor.

"So is this! _Hah!"_ Suddenly the Doctor slipped his arms out of his coat, leaving Boromir and Aragorn holding nothing but empty sleeves. He took off, easily dodging Jack. They could hear him as he ran. "Here, humans, humans, humans," this last followed by rather derisive laughter.

"Told you so," Jack said. "This time catch him yourself!"

"Wait here," Boromir growled, bounding after the Doctor. After a few moments the heard an "Oof!" followed by an "Oi!" There was the sound of a scuffle followed by a loud smack. Boromir returned, dragging the Time Lord by the collar of his jacket. The Doctor rubbed his bottom.

Boromir snatched the coat from Aragorn's hand and thrust it at the Doctor, who meekly put it on. "You," Boromir growled. "Start walking!"

"Stupid construct," the Doctor scowled. Nevertheless, he walked on his own, warily watching his companions. They had no further trouble from him and finally made it back to their room.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter - 10

A Darker Shade of Midnight

"Do you think," said Aragorn, "That perhaps it could be the _Lembas _which has given him such an appetite?"

"Probably, "Jack observed. "Back home we have a term for it: the munchies."

" I can see where this could greatly help him build up his strength," Boromir added. "Not only from the _Lembas_ itself, but by increase of appetite."

"Still, would you seriously want the job of watching after him when he's like…that ?" Jack said.

"I think not, though he does seem a bit more, well…manageable. I am sure you understand my meaning, now that a bit of time has passed." Aragorn observed.

"Your drink did help me keep from dealing with him more harshly, Jack." Boromir said, "You should speak of this odd way that _lembas_ affects him; Elrond should know about this."

"_He_ has very good hearing," The Doctor said. "And I'm still hungry—and still a bit funny in the head."

"Patience, Doc," said Jack. "And yes, you _are_ still a little funny in the head, even for _you._ Just wait, the hobbits should be back with more food soon. Geez, I've never seen you eat so much!" It was true; he had devoured an entire platter of toast with jam, six boiled eggs, two apples with mustard, several smoked fish drowned in strawberry jam and two slices of ham. And still his appetite seemed to know no bounds.

"Never fear," Merry announced as he and Pippin carted in enough food for everyone in the room.

The first thing the Doctor went after happened to be a large pot of honey, which he turned up and drank, to the surprise of everyone. As soon as the last gulp was gone, he took a deep breath through his nose, exhaled through his mouth, and a thick, iridescent mist expelled from his mouth.

He ruminated a moment, looking into the middle distance and then suddenly smiled. "Honey! Wonderful stuff! Made by _Apis mellifera, _among one of the most beautiful and miraculous creatures in the universe. People have used honey for ages, even medicinally, and now I have another use for it: lessens the effect of _lembas_ on Time Lords! A little better now," he said to himself. "My head still isn't right. My thoughts are all anyhow and everywhere. Not de-toxed entirely, but still…" He shook his head, licking honey from around his lips. Suddenly he pointed at Boromir. "You! I don't remember much, but I do remember one thing. You smacked me on my bottom!"

"You deserved it," Boromir replied around a mouthful of seedcake. "I've done far worse to him who has done less." He leveled his gaze at the Doctor. "Do not forget who I am. For wizard or no, you might have gotten more than one swat on your bottom. Had you been anyone else you might be sporting a black eye!"

"No, no, no," Jack said, speech still slightly slurred. "Nobody punches the Doctor. Ever. I've killed for less." There followed a short silence while the rest took in what Jack had said—and the way he had said it. All came to the same conclusion: where it came to the Doctor, any wager was off. Affable he may be, but Captain Jack Harkness was not a man to be trifled with, not where his wizard was concerned.

"Jack," admonished the Doctor. "You know how I feel about that sort of thing. You're to harm no one, not in my name."

"But his bottom is still fair game, I hope?" Aragorn smirked. His attempt at humor did as he intended, breaking the tension filling the room like thick smoke. "I owe him a few of those, myself. One for the pipe incident alone."

"You two are pretty good friends," Jack replied, now smiling. "But no more smacking of the Doctor's bottom. Not even I've ever done that. Not that I haven't been tempted. Always thought that could be a lot of fun. Especially afterwards. But as far as looking out for the Doctor, you two could come in handy in that regard, as long as you keep your hands off him. Especially his bottom."

"Everyone is talking about my bottom!" the Doctor said, blushing so deeply his freckles disappeared. "It's…undignified, stop it!"

"So was your behavior," said Boromir. "You cannot remember much of it? No?" He turned to Jack and winked conspiratorially. "Too bad, you are a very good kisser."

"What?" the Doctor gaped.

Aragorn, catching on to Boromir's joke, added, "Indeed! So much passion! And it was not as if we were the ones to start it. Of course, I did not get much of a chance for more once you sat in Boromir's lap. Poor Jack practically had to peel you off of him."

"_What?" _the Time Lord scrunched up his face." Jack, please tell me they're having me on? _Please,_ Jack! I don't remember any such happenstance! No…not…no, no,no," stammered the Doctor. "Not…not sure I want to remember."

"Had my hands full for a while, there, Doc," Jack said. "Made me pretty jealous…until you got around to me. I had no idea you're so…aggressively submissive. And very, _very _bendy. Of course, before that, I had to defend poor Boromir against you. Good thing his clothes are complicated where taking them off is concerned."

"What? _What?" _The Doctor visibly paled._ "What? No-no-no-no-no!" _His jaw worked as his brows practically crawled into his hairline. He very much resembled a fish out of water.

"For once," Jack leered, "I was glad you dress in so many layers. If not I never would have had the time to break you two up."

"I think…" the Doctor mumbled, "I should just go and hide under my bed. For a week."

"May I keep you company?" Boromir asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Now, that's enough, you three," Merry scolded. "Just look at the poor man!"

"None of that happened, Doctor," Pippin said, handing the Doctor a cup of tea and giving him a comforting pat on the shoulder. The hobbit rounded on Jack, Aragorn and Boromir. "Shame on you! Just look at the state of him!"

"Oh, Pippin, we were just having a little fun!" Boromir said.

Pippin looked at the Doctor. One corner of his mouth curled. "I am afraid you are an easy target to hit, Doctor. Still, I do not like seeing you so embarrassed over something you did not do." He turned and glared and the three men.

During the short silence that followed, the Doctor's expression subtly shifted. He looked angry, but it was a controlled anger. "Well, seeing as I am such an easy target, who can blame any of you three? I mean, if I was me, and I am, I'd bet I could find some very easy targets."

"Well, just you put it behind you," Merry said jovially. "After all, everyone had been drinking that brew." He looked at the Doctor and could tell he was, indeed, still a bit befuddled. "You still aren't yourself, you know, this is no the time to act or to speak in haste."

"Anyway," Pippin added, "They _are_ your friends, and friends are allowed to behave very badly some of the time."

"Why, thank you for reminding me, Peregrin Took," said the Time Lord. "I'm afraid I've been spending too much time alone. Makes me forget how earth people amuse themselves," he said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. He looked harshly at the men in the room, his eyes hooded and unreadable. "Be glad I'm not a vengeful person…some of the time. Because I could make your lives a misery if I wanted to. Imagine, Aragorn, if I compelled you to kiss the nearest maiden—or even me—every time I came near you and Arwen together. Would you like to explain that to her?"

"Oh, shit," Jack moaned. "He could do it, too. Don't be mad, Doc, come on, if you knew what a pain in the ass you were you wouldn't blame us for getting back a little of our own."

"I couldn't have been that bad," countered the Doctor.

"Oh,yes you could!" Merry said. He and Pippin began uncovering dishes. "You have to admit, Doctor, you are a bit of an easy target, especially since you were so hard to manage. It was as if you were just asking for it. Now, just you put it behind you, I promise you will think on this later on and have a good laugh at yourself. Now, Pippin and I went to a deal of trouble getting all this food, and I expect to see every bit of it eaten. We have chicken, bread, cheese, more toast, currant jam, honey—or we did have honey—more tea, porridge, salad, sausage, chips and seed cakes."

Pippin took one of these last for himself. "Very good, too!"

Earlier everyone had allowed the Doctor to eat, thinking there would be a little something left over, but he had eaten every scrap to the wonderment of all. Now that the hypervodka had run out, however, everyone felt the need to eat a little post-drinking bite, and they all fell to. At last the Doctor finally had his fill and left his friends to finish everything off. He sat next to Jack, and to his own surprise, he leaned against his companion's solid form.

"Still a bit buzzed, I see." Jack grinned. "You'd never show affection that easily to me in front of people otherwise."

"I know," the Time Lord admitted. "I just…after what happened on Midnight, I didn't think I could bear to touch another human except for Donna. Then after we all split up and I lost Donna, I was alone. I guess I missed it, being able to touch someone."

"Midnight?" Jack said, suddenly very sober, even grim. "You were on Midnight? I always wanted to visit there. That was you? I heard something about that from one of the other passengers. And just so you know I didn't buy a word he said. It didn't feel right. But I had no idea it was you, he never mentioned your name. He just called you 'the alien,' sometimes referred to you as 'it.'"

"Yes, that was me," the Doctor said. "Wish I'd never set foot on that accursed planet." Jack placed his fingers beneath the Doctor's chin and made him look him in the eye. The Doctor's eyes had suddenly gone sad and very, very old.

"Okay, Doc," Jack said firmly. "Spill. Right here, right now. Because once you're no longer high I know you'll clam up."

"But…Jack, there are people here," the Doctor said.

"You're among friends, and it's high time they got to know you. The real you. Then they'll understand why I have to take care of you. And maybe they can help. And like I said, if you don't talk about it now I don't think you ever will."

There was a long silence, during which Jack refused to let the Doctor look away. "I just wanted to see the sapphire waterfall, that's all," the Doctor said. Knowing how pathetic he sounded, his cheeks reddened. Jack finally let him move, hoping the Time Lord would continue. After taking a deep breath, the Doctor went on. "To see that, and to talk to some humans. You know how I've always loved you lot, even when you disappoint me. I think I might have brought some of it on myself. I was…rude. You know, the way I am sometimes. And I let them know I'm clever. It made them suspicious."

"Stop making excuses for them and tell me what the fuck happened," Jack demanded.

The Doctor looked surprised. "If this is how you run Torchwood it's no wonder your people do as they're told."

Jack's face fell for a moment. He seemed to grapple with some memory, something painful. Then the Doctor saw a steely reserve set in, and he knew then that this wasn't the young man he had abandoned on the Game Station. This was a man to be reckoned with, a man to be respected, and one not accustomed to being disobeyed. Under normal circumstances, the Time Lord would have dug his heels in, and no force in the universe could have budged him. But he still felt the effect of the _lembas_, and this was Jack, no matter how changed he was, this was still his Jack. He knew in his hearts that he owed Jack a little honesty, for a change.

"It started when the truck broke down, which it shouldn't have. We'd been having a great deal of fun until then, mostly because I disabled their so-called entertainment. It was driving everyone mad. People were actually using earplugs to mute it all out. So…"

"You used your ever faithful sonic screwdriver." Jack said, grinning. "So everyone would have to interact. That's very Doctor. But let's not get side-tracked."

"Well, it all went wrong when the truck broke down. I talked to the driver—I wasn't supposed to go into the cabin, but you know me. I had to know what was going on. They said they had to stabilize the engines; only there was one problem with that. The engines for those trucks run on micro-petrol."

"Those engines don't need stabilizing, ever," Jack noted.

"Exactly. The driver and the mechanic admitted they didn't know what was wrong, but they called for a rescue truck and said it would be there in about an hour. I convinced the driver and the mechanic to open the shutters and have a look. We could only do it for a few minutes, though."

"Xtonic sunlight," Jack said. "Even through Finito glass any longer and you'd be vaporized."

"Yes," the Doctor nodded; then, uncharacteristically he budged over closer to Jack, as though seeking comfort. He swallowed hard.

Jack could see how difficult this was for him, could see the fear creeping into his friend. The Time Lord needed reassurance to keep telling his story; otherwise, this fear was going to shut him down. Jack eased an arm around the Doctor, subtly pulling him closer, just enough to bolster the Doctor's courage.

"That's when the mechanic saw it. A shadow, he said. Running toward us." The Doctor shivered then, swallowing hard again. "Nothing is supposed to be able to live in xtonic sunlight. Apparently, that school of thought needs revamping.

"I went back to the main cabin. Already everyone had started panicking. And you know how you lot can get. Humans can be so dangerous when they panic. I tried to calm everyone.

"There was a knocking on the side of the truck. Two knocks, several times. Then one of the other passengers, a man called Cane, he knocked three times. And whatever it was…it knocked three times back. And I couldn't resist, Jack, you know how I get. So I knocked four times. And it knocked four times back."

"Four times," Jack said. He tightened his arm around the Doctor protectively. "That explains it."

"Explains what?"

"You keep…tapping. Four taps. I'm sure you didn't know you were doing it."

"No," the Doctor said, almost harshly, and Jack got the oddest feeling the answer was both confirmation and denial. It wasn't a feeling he was likely to forget, and he promised himself to pursue it further. But not now, not when he at last had the Doctor opening up to him, to him and to everyone in the room.

"Things got really bad then," the Doctor continued. "Whatever it was, it started knocking on the truck…quite violently. The whole truck just shook, everyone being thrown all about. The cab broke loose from the rest of the truck. The driver and mechanic were killed. Gone to dust, just like that, from the poisonous sun. The rest of the truck sealed itself, so the passengers weren't exposed.

"The door was bent in. Only something very powerful could have done that. The cabin was still sealed… but…it…it got in. The lights went out. When we got our torches out, we could see that some of the seats had been ripped up, and one of the passengers, a woman named Sky, she crouched on the floor with her back to us. She had been the most frightened. I think that's why it chose her.

"I went to her. I didn't know, no one knew. All I knew at that point was that she'd been terrified, and I wanted to help her, comfort her. But it was in her, the thing from outside. When we tried talking to her, she repeated everything we said. The other passengers, they really started panicking then. She synchronized with us then, everything any of us said, she said at the same time.

"They wanted to throw her out. I tried to stop them. And I let it slip. I called them humans. I explained that if she had copied, the next step was synchronizing, and then becoming one of us, and I didn't want her becoming me because things would be really bad. I set myself apart from the rest when I did that. And they turned on me. They knew then I wasn't human. Said they might just throw me out, too. I asked them if they could actually stoop to murder, called them stupid. They said that yes, they could throw me out. That I practically volunteered for it." He stopped then, swallowed hard once again, tried to speak, but nothing came out.

Jack let his instincts as a leader kick in. He gave the Doctor a gentle squeeze and made soft, comforting sounds. "It's okay, it's all right. I'm here, your friends are here, nothing can hurt you, you're safe, here with us."

"She stopped synchronizing with everyone but me, and that made the rest even more suspicious. And then…oh, Jack! Then she stole my voice. She took my words. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak for myself, I could only repeat what she was saying!"

Jack thought about that during the short silence that followed. The Doctor had always been a chatterbox. And the Time Lord's most potent defense had always been his words. How powerless he must have felt…

"I wanted to move, to speak. I wanted that so, so badly. Inside I screamed for help, but nothing came out, only her words. And she told them to throw me out. I could hear myself repeating, Jack, I could hear myself telling them to throw me out, to kill me, and I couldn't do anything about it. I could feel that I had terror written all over my face, but no one cared. They dragged me to the door.

"But the thing inside Sky, it gave itself away. It used my expressions. It said, 'allons-y,' and 'molto bene'. The stewardess had heard me say that. So she grabbed Sky and dragged her out. She sacrificed herself to save me, Jack. Yet another person going willingly to their death to save me. After, all I could say was 'it's gone, it's gone, it's gone,' over and over. No one even helped me up from the floor, and I felt too weak to get up. So I just sat there on the floor like a beaten animal. And I've never, ever been so alone." He made a choking sound then, as if his words were just too big to come out.

"As much as you've always loved humans, you must have felt terribly betrayed," Jack acknowledged. The Doctor nodded silently. "The main one that wanted to throw you out," Jack said. "You mentioned a man named Cane. Was it him?"

The Doctor nodded again. He buried his face in Jack's shoulder, shaking violently with the memory of it all, the shouting, the accusations, hearing all those humans callously planning his murder, and he, himself urging them on in a voice he had no control over. "Yes, Cane, his name was Cane."

The men and hobbits that had sat in silence, taking in this horrid little tale, saw Jack's face change then, and they were sure Jack was glad the Doctor wasn't looking, because the expression on Jack's face just then was absolutely murderous. He put his other arm around the Doctor then. The Time Lord had curled into a tight little ball of misery. Jack rocked him, ever so gently, the tenderness of the gesture completely at odds with the look on his face. Each of them felt very grateful they were not this Cane person the Doctor had spoken of.

The first of them to move was Pippin. He slowly crossed the room. Everyone expected him to try to comfort the Doctor. Instead, he crawled into the bed next to Jack and put his arms around him, tears brimming in his eyes. Merry followed, sitting nearby, so that he could pat both Jack and the Doctor. He openly wept. Boromir was next. He sat by the Doctor, rubbing his back, making soft shushing sounds. Aragorn was last. He took the Doctor's hand in one of his own hands, softly stroking it with the other hand.

After the memory of how the Doctor's beloved humans had turned on him, the physical demonstration of how caring humans could be was all too much, especially with the last remnants of _lembas _coursing through his brain. He began to cry softly. Then the floodgates opened and he found himself sobbing into Jack's shoulder like a child, absolutely shamelessly. He could feel the others shifting on the bed, making themselves comfortable, but not letting go, not turning away from his pain. He felt Jack drop a soft, innocent kiss on the top of his head. For the first time in a very long time, he felt…un-alone.

Maybe, just maybe, the TARDIS was right. Maybe this was where he needed to be, for however long it took. He knew it was undignified, but at this point no longer cared, and allowed himself to snuggle closer to Jack. Gradually his sobbing subsided until he had cried himself out.

"There now," he heard Pippin say. "Sometimes we all need a wee cry, Doctor. Even wizards. And certain Gondorians and Rangers I could speak of."

The Doctor laughed softly into Jack's shoulder, but didn't budge. He didn't realize just how washed out he was after such an eventful day and evening until he woke up the next morning, still plastered to Jack's side. Everyone else was still there, too, each curled up in a cloud of comforting bodies around him. He closed his eyes and was nearly asleep again when he heard someone clear their throat loudly. All he wanted was to drift off again, lose himself amongst his pile of humans and hobbits. He opened one eye, grumbling, "Go away."

It was Elrond and Gandalf.


	11. Chapter 11

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 11

* * *

"And what, exactly, have all of you rascals been up to, I might ask?" Gandalf said, apparently quite amused at what he was seeing. "You are all lying in the same bed, like puppies in a basket!" Something in his demeanor said that he already knew what had gone on last night and that he had found much with which to be amused.

Boromir had wakened immediately, his soldier's instincts with him even in sleep. He had bracketed the Doctor on the opposite side of Jack, who had also snapped awake. Boromir placed a hand on the Doctor's shoulder, almost protectively. "The Doctor has been talking to us, until the small hours, actually. We were all…very tired. Especially the Doctor." Behind his words, the message was quite clear: 'leave the Doctor alone if you are planning to make him uncomfortable.'

"It would seem you have made fast friends, Doctor!" Gandalf's eyes twinkled. "However do you do it?"

The Doctor yawned hugely, then, giving Boromir's hand a friendly pat, he said, "Nothing to do with being a Time Lord, if that's what you think. I chose my own title, 'the Doctor.' Time Lords did that, you know. I just wanted to…make people better—to mend, to heal. I may have fallen short of my goal, but I think perhaps some people sense that I truly do want to help, to understand. I'm fairly sure when people like that take a liking to me straight away, it's because deep down, they have it in them to be…brilliant." He nudged Jack. "Except for you, Jack."

"Hey!" Jack said. "You sleep almost under me, I sit there awake most of the night, not wanting to move so I wouldn't wake you, and this is the thanks I get?"

"That's not what I meant," the Doctor said, giving Jack the smallest of smiles. "You were already brilliant when we met, you just didn't know it. Not in your heart, anyway."

"You mean back before I _grew_ a heart."

"Do you still wish you'd never met me?"

"Only when I get the urge to strangle you."

"Oh. Well, that's good, then."

"And don't let him fool you," Jack said. "There has to be a reason people tend to either love him or hate him. My theory is Time Lord hormones."

"Jack, can you imagine how the TARDIS's translation circuits just explained that to everyone? You just told everyone I smell friendly! And everything doesn't have to be about hormones. Well, unless you're—you."

"Hey, it's not my fault humans evolved, I can't help it if I'm loaded with pheromones, I was born this way!"

Pippin rose and stretched, the gesture seeming huge in so small a form. "I am not awake enough for this, I need tea! Anyone else? Merry! Get up, sleepyhead! It is breakfast time. I want to go get some food and tea, and have it here. I like knocking about with the Doctor and Jack."

"Actually, Pippin," Elrond said, "Gandalf and I would like to have a word with our guests alone. They can join the rest of you shortly."

"That's fine, just fine," the Doctor said agreeably. "Only…Boromir, make sure we meet up in a bit? There's something I need to see about that might concern you."

Boromir looked worried. "This is not to do with…?"

The Doctor knew exactly what he was about to say, and was grateful he didn't bring up any smacking of his bottom in front of Gandalf and Elrond. "What, that? No! Well, sort of, but I'm not angry, I won't stick you in a mirror or anything. Just very curious about something. I need to take you to see the TARDIS."

"Very well, then," Boromir said. He jerked his head towards the door, looking at Aragorn. "Shall we, gentlemen?" With that, Aragorn, Boromir, Merry and Pippin filed out of the room.

"Boromir and the TARDIS?" Jack looked quizzically at the Doctor.

"You'll see, you're coming too, I've something to look into with you as well, Captain Jack Harkness. Keep your hair on, nothing serious, just something I'm curious about."

"All of this is well and good, gentlemen," Elrond interrupted. "I would, however, like to know exactly what your little band of revelers were up to last night. Word has reached me there was some…disturbance, last evening." One eyebrow rose in amusement.

"Oh, that was the _lembas!" _The Doctor said, breaking out into a somewhat goofy grin. "Seems it makes me a bit funny in the head."

"To say the least," Jack added.

"But! I also found out later when it had mostly worn off that it made it easier for me to, well, to talk. About…stuff." The Doctor said. "And it helped me to feel hungry again."

"I see," Elrond said. "When you are saying you talked, are you saying you are taking my advice?"

"We don't have much of a choice," Jack answered. "The TARDIS won't let us leave here until we straighten some things out."

"Jack, I think she's right," the Doctor said.

"Oh, I know she's right, after our little chat yesterday. I'm not so sure you have any business flying her until you clear some of the muck out of that Time Lord mind of yours."

"Oh, you couldn't be more right. That's another reason I need to visit her. I want to tell her she was right. And I want to apologize to the Old Girl." The Doctor turned to Elrond then, saying, _"Lembas_ was a good idea, but that was far too much for me. Once I took some honey as an antidote, my mind cleared a great deal, but there was still enough _lembas_ in my bloodstream to act medicinally. It lessened my anxiety about speaking…ahem." Here he seemed to struggle within himself, clearly disliking speaking of his experience while not affected by _lembas_. "I, um… Well, it worked enough to help me talk about something that had been…well, it... it-helped-me-to-talk-and…Blimey, I'm rubbish at this!"

He took a deep breath, seeming to force the words out. "Talking about it helped, it helped so much. So I want to add a tiny amount off _lembas_ to my treatment. I promise, I won't get out of control again, but just to be sure, I'd like to have my friends around for a while when I take it. As it happens, they're wonderful people, and having them there to listen was…well, it...just helped, that's all."

"What, is this going to be The Fellowship of the TARDIS?" Jack said, grinning.

"Brilliant!" said the Doctor. "We should call it that, Jack! The Fellowship of the TARDIS!"

"Are you certain you wish to take _lembas?"_ Elrond waited until the Doctor nodded an affirmative, then he turned to Jack. "Very well, but I must impose a rule or two. He's never to be left alone when he has it, and anyone accompanying you two whilst he is under it's influence must keep him and themselves to your room. This is for your own privacy as well as maintaining peace and order here. Will you agree?"

"He'll get hungry," Jack said. "I'm not passing up a chance to put some weight back on him, look at him, he's thin as a rail. Clearly, if he gets hungry, someone has to get something to eat for him."

"As long as he's not left alone, someone may fetch whatever foods he's to eat," Elrond said quite sternly. "I want him on a diet of very rich foods, and I want him to remain as calm and sedate as he can be kept. He cannot gain weight if he's allowed to run about like a March hare."

"I'll agree to that," Jack replied. "I'm sure the rest will do what they can to help. They were great last night."

"And what of your own troubles, then, Jack?" Gandalf asked. "You cannot have been brought here merely as baggage, the TARDIS could have brought the Doctor here on her own. You should know that in allowing others to help you, you allow them to help themselves. And you cannot give only, and expect not to have to pay the price."

Jack glowered, uncomfortable about anyone mentioning any problem he might have. The Doctor gave him a little nudge with a painfully bony elbow. "I'll help Jack any way I can," the Doctor assured. "Jack, can I have your word you'll let me help you? I don't think I'll get much better until I'm not so worried about you."

"Understand too," Elrond added, "You cannot mend what you did not break in this case. And how are you to help a friend until you help yourself?"

There followed an awkward silence, but Jack only had to get a glimpse of those damned puppy-dog eyes and he caved. "If it'll help you, angel face, I'll do whatever it takes." Jack smiled at the expression of distaste the Doctor made when he called him 'angel face.' That always made him grin. Good. Payback for the puppy-dog eyes.

"Are we done yet?" said the Doctor. "Blimey, I could eat a horse, hooves and all."

"You're being rude again, Doc."

The Doctor sighed, tugging on his ear. "Yeah…I am."

"You're _supposed_ to say 'thank you for your time and trouble,'" Jack said.

"Quite right," the Doctor said sheepishly. "Elrond, Gandalf, thank you so very much."

"Regain your health, Doctor," Elrond said. "That will be more than enough thanks for everyone, I am quite sure."

"Indeed," said Gandalf. "Now, go and find that horse and have a good feed, Doctor. Elrond and I need to see to Frodo. Good day to you both."

Their room had emptied of all but the two of them now. Jack poured the Doctor's morning dose of Miruvor for the Time Lord and took it to him. The Doctor dutifully swallowed his medicinal dose, then, still holding the empty cup, crossed the room and gazed out of the window where a stream trickled into a little pool. For long moments, he stood silhouetted in the morning sun, as slim and still as an exclamation point. Finally turning to Jack, he cocked his head slightly and said softly, "Jack?"

"Sir?"

Jack watched him as his eyes dropped. He seemed to be studying his feet as he scuffed a trainer on the floor, then rocked on his heels. He looked at Jack and a small, sad smile flitted across his face. He shrugged. "Nothing. Hungry?"

"Sure"

"Let's go get something, then."

"Sure."

Jack watched as he walked out of the door and into the hall. He grinned to himself, then softly replied to the Doctor's unspoken words. "You're welcome, Doc."

The Doctor went the wrong way. "Doc!" Jack shouted. The Time Lord turned around and went in the opposite direction. Jack rose and followed. The Captain reflected that the Time Lord really did need _lembas_ to relax him enough to talk if he hoped to get to the root of his problem. On the tail of that thought, Jack wished there was something that could help him deal with his own problems. Then again, maybe he didn't deserve to feel better. Monsters, as a rule, should not have anything made easier for them.

About halfway to the kitchens the Doctor slowed, stopped, then turned to face Jack. He placed a hand on Jack's shoulder and gave an affectionate squeeze. "I don't want you to call me 'sir' anymore, Jack. You aren't my servant."

"Okay," Jack shrugged, wondering what had brought _that_ on. Then again, he should have been well aware by now that the Doctor, as dear as he was to Jack, would probably always be a bit enigmatic. Maybe that was part of the appeal, not just to Jack, himself, but to all of the Doctor's companions and friends. _'But that's us,' _he thought. _'The immortal and the enigmatic.'_

They fell in step and walked side by side, following the smells of a sumptuous breakfast. Aragorn and Boromir were seated at a long stone table just under an intricately carved archway. The morning sun shone down on them as they ate, talked and laughed together. "Have a seat, Doc," Jack said. "I'll go and see what they have to give you the caloric load you need, and you should be resting, like Elrond said."

The Doctor seated himself across from Aragorn and Boromir. He sighed. "I suppose I may as well resign myself to you fetching and carrying and whatnot," he said, a bit irritated.

"Look, Doc, I'm not coddling you! Elrond said. You heard him."

"You do it too much, and this isn't just recent behavior. I'm no messiah, and I'm certainly not a helpless child."

"No," Jack brazenly admitted. "But I have a reason to do it now. Not an excuse, but a reason."

"As soon as my health is better, this stops. I said you aren't my servant."

"Yes, sir!" Jack said with a snappy salute.

"I asked you not to call me 'sir,' Jack. And you know I hate it when people salute me."

"You must have missed the memo," Jack retorted.

"What memo?"

"The one warning you I'm a smart-ass," Jack grinned, turned on his heel and went to get breakfast.

"He behaves like a little brother," Boromir observed.

"Well, yes, he does, far too much of the time," the Doctor replied.

"They do it for the attention, you know," said Boromir, smiling fondly. "I should know, I have a little brother. He is a good man, a brave and true man."

"Your younger brother or Jack?"

"Both!" Boromir popped his last bit of bacon into his mouth.

"I'm glad you like him," the Doctor said, giving Boromir a smile. "I should warn you, he can be hard to love sometimes. I don't always approve of his methods, but in fairness he doesn't always approve of mine, either."

"His methods?"

"Yes," the Doctor said. "He has to make life and death decisions far too often. In some ways it's made him a bit hard and cold. In some ways, it's made it easier than ever to break his heart. My fault, I'm afraid. If I hadn't abandoned him, he wouldn't have tried to follow me and got himself stranded. That's when Torchwood got their hands on him. He got careless, made too many statements about me when he was out drinking.

"Torchwood got wind of it and captured him. He could work for them and have some freedom, or he could remain a prisoner. He chose to work for them. Torchwood was created to keep track of me, you know. For many years, I was their target, someone to be captured and imprisoned. Most of them were destroyed in a battle, but Jack rebuilt Torchwood. And he did it in my honor. That's my Captain Jack for you. Loyalty and contrariness all rolled together into a big, rutting bull." The Doctor smiled a smile that was partly sardonic, partly affectionate.

Boromir laughed. "The pair of you seem to know each other so well," he said.

"In some ways, we know each other too well. In some ways we're still pretty much strangers. Again, my fault; all my fault. I turned my back on him too often. And yet, still, he seems to love me. I can't think why."

"I may not know you very well," Boromir said, "But I imagine he has his reasons. May I say I think you judge yourself too harshly?" Boromir laid a hand on one the Doctor's hands. "Loyalty and love that strong is never lightly given by a man such as Jack."

"Hey!" Jack said, returning with a tray laden with food. He put the tray down and slapped Boromir's hand off the Doctor's. "Hands off my snookums!"

Boromir and Aragorn both burst into laughter. "You never tire of that, do you?" Boromir asked Jack.

"Why would I? Doctor-baiting is a great pastime." Jack said, unloading the tray. "Bacon, porridge, eggs, cheese, tea and a scone. Eat up, Doc."

"Are you sure you're not fattening me up for the kill, Jack? I can't possibly eat all this!"

"Eat, you'll get over it!"

"Blimey, you aren't giving me much of a choice, are you?"

"No," Jack said, starting on his own plate of eggs and bacon.

"Where are Merry and Pippin?" the Doctor asked.

"Gone to visit their cousin Frodo," Aragorn said. "I must go and see Arwen, she is expecting me. I promised to go riding with her."

"You do that," Jack said. "Like I said, I wouldn't go leaving her lying around if I were you. She is…_woof!"_

Aragorn chuckled. "That is one way of putting it," he said. "Good day to you all. I hope to see you all later." He rose then, collected his empty plate and cup and left.

Jack watched him leave. "Lucky bastard," he said. "That woman is one prime piece of—"

"_Jack!"_ scolded the Doctor.

Jack rolled his eyes. He gave Boromir a wink and said, "Sorry, angel face, didn't mean to make you jealous."

The Doctor threw his scone at Jack. Boromir roared with laughter.

Meal finally finished, the three walked to the TARDIS. Both the Doctor and Jack watched Boromir's face light up when he saw her, as though she were something from a fairy-tale now made real. "You travel in this little box? Does it not seem too close quarters for the pair of you?"

"Nah! Not at all," the Doctor said. "She's bigger on the inside, like my pockets." Boromir watched the Time Lord press himself flat against the side of the TARDIS, arms spread wide, as if to hug her. "You were right, Old Girl, so right…you did good." He stroked the side of the machine lovingly. Boromir could have sworn he heard a gentle purr. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry I spoke to you the way I did yesterday. You were only trying to care for me, my wise girl." A soft thrumming sound emitted from the blue box, followed by a high, sweet trill, and a sound that reminded Boromir of a tiny cry he had once heard dolphins make. As if in answer, the Doctor spoke again, "No, no, I'm not angry with you at all! I promise, I'll stay until I feel better. Uncle Jack, too. Isn't that right, Jack?"

Jack stepped forward and pressed the flat of his palm against the side of the TARDIS near the Doctor's hand. The box made a happy chirping sound followed by more purring, a little louder this time. "We'll stay, gorgeous," Jack said. "I promise, too."

"And there's my answer about you, Jack!" the Doctor said, still smiling. "She feels it, too! Last night when you dozed off, you had a…well, shall we say, interesting dream. You projected that dream to me in my sleep."

Jack grinned wolfishly, but didn't blush. The Doctor's cheeks turned bright red, however. "You really have no shame, do you?" he said.

"Wasted emotion, if you ask me," Jack replied.

"That dream was so vivid it woke me up. I thought at first that it was my imagination. You know how you were a low-level telepath. Well, not any more! Not level 2, but not bad! Probably because of you living on the rift for so long."

"You're kidding me!" Jack said. "Think I'll ever reach level 2?"

"No, I'm not kidding, Jack," the Doctor said. "And I don't know what level you might eventually reach. Maybe higher than mine! After all, you're going to live for a very long time. One more thing we ought to work on while we're here. I need to teach you how to control it. Your projection of that dream tells me you have almost no control. That could be dangerous, and not only to others, but to you."

"May I..?" Boromir said, asking permission by way of offering his hand. Even with the TARDIS's translation circuits working for him, he could barely make out what his friends were talking about, though he understood it was something to do with reading minds and sending thoughts into the mind of another. But what he really wanted was to touch the TARDIS, to see if it really was a she and if so, would she purr for him, too.

"She says yes, it's fine for you to touch her," said the Time Lord.

Boromir gently laid his palm against her as he had seen Jack do. He felt the box give a vibrating pulse. "Is…is that laughter?" he asked.

"Yes, it is," said the Doctor with a soft smile. "She likes you."

"She really is a girl!" Boromir said, beaming a wide smile. "I cannot understand how she told me that…I seem to simply know because she wanted me to know."

"That's our gorgeous girl," Jack said, stroking softly with his thumb.

The TARDIS vibrated in a way that made Boromir think of the laughter of a child. Inside Boromir's head a mental picture of a little girl being swung around by Jack and bounced on the Doctor's knee appeared. He saw the little girl being kissed and cuddled by the Time Lord, the both of them laughing and hugging each other. There were other images: the Doctor bandaging the little girl's skinned knee, the Doctor brushing her hair, the Doctor feeding her treats.

Boromir couldn't help but chuckle. Oh, if only Faramir could see this! Boromir felt the box thrum under his palm. The Doctor replied, "Of course you can, sweetheart!" He softly kissed the TARDIS. Boromir felt the wood beneath his palm grow suddenly warm. He could have sworn he felt the Doctor's kiss against his palm as well. "She wants to stay in our room with us, Jack," said the Doctor. "She says she'll take the three of us there right now, but I have to promise her I won't leave until I'm better."

"So, what are you waiting for? Make a girl a promise, Doc!" Jack said.

"Yes, yes, sweetheart, of course I promise! Anything to make up for what I said to you yesterday!" said the Doctor. A door opened on it's own. "Well, Boromir, what are you waiting on? Want to go for a little ride?"

"Yes! I certainly do!" Boromir replied, his voice sounding much like that of an excited little boy in his own ears.

"Well, let's go then," Jack said, laughing.

"Allons-y!" said the Doctor cheerily. He went in first, followed by Jack. Boromir stuck his head in before walking into the TARDIS.

"It is…it really is…" Boromir stammered, eyes wide with wonder.

"Bigger on the inside!" chorused the Doctor and Jack.

Boromir watched as the Doctor flung his arms wide, spinning around like a delighted child. "Console's back, Jackity-Jack!" he laughed. He began to dance around the complicated machinery in the middle of the room, pulling levers, flipping switches, hitting a switch with the toe of a shoe, spinning around now, actually twirling and dancing around in pure joy. "Ready, Boromir?" The Doctor's smile was as dazzling as his eyes were wide and bright.

"Oh, aye!" Boromir said, catching the Doctor's infectious mood.

"Then here we go! Ha!" the Doctor pulled a lever and pushed a button.

A grinding, whirring noise filled the air. Boromir felt the TARDIS rise, staggering to keep his feet. Through the noise and the motion, Boromir tried to make out what the Doctor was saying, but only caught his words in snatches. "She says…him, The Cowboy, Jack! Only other person…smack my bottom…how I knew…long story…thought he was kidnapping…humans…was wrong… taking them…they wanted…cross him if I were you…can't kill you…but it would really hurt…you'll like…bit like you, actually…means we have to…after what happens to him…part of why she brought us…it brilliant?" was all Boromir could make out.

A hard thump told Boromir they had landed. The Doctor sprang forward and flung the door wide so Boromir could see they had arrived in Jack and the Doctor's room.

"So, Boromir!" the Doctor said, his voice high and loud with utter joy, his grin broad and child-like. "What do you think?"

"I want to go again!" Boromir said, laughing along with Jack and the Doctor now.

"Welll," said the Doctor, hands jammed in pockets and rocking back on his heels. "Might be able to arrange that, don't you think, Jack?"

"Sounds like we'd better," Jack said. He locked eyes with the Doctor, and the two of them laughed like little boys sharing a secret.

"When?" Boromir said. "I cannot wait!"

"Give it a few months," Jack answered.

"It'll be the ride of your life, Boromir!" the Doctor said, grinning more broadly than ever, he winked at Boromir. "And it's going to be…fantastic! Ha!"


	12. Chapter 12

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 12

* * *

"Take me with you when you go," Boromir said. He had unconsciously grasped the Doctor by his lapels and was grinning, his eyes gleaming.

"Oh, boy, here we go," Jack said. He had seen this sort of thing before. One glimpse inside the TARDIS could do that to some people. He couldn't help smiling at Boromir becoming Instant Fanboy. The Doctor alone could do that. Pair him up with his TARDIS and the effect could be extremely dynamic. Hadn't it happened to Jack, himself?

"Now, Boromir, I can't promise you anything of the sort," the Doctor said, his voice calm and reasonable, prying Boromir's hands from his lapels. "Maybe another quick trip, but not now, and I can't promise I'll take you with me when I go." He walked out of the TARDIS, Boromir on his heels and Jack following behind, a bemused look on his face.

"But you could. Could you not?" Boromir's eyes sparkled with excitement. "You only said you cannot promise, you did not say you _wouldn't."_

"Come on, Boromir," Jack said, slapping the man on the back. "Doc's still not well, let's not put any pressure on him, okay?"

"Of course, of course," Boromir said. Oddly, he smoothed the fabric of the Doctor's coat, brushing fussily at his shirtfront and shoulders, straightening his tie. "Only just…think on it?"

"I will, I'll think on it. But even if I do, it won't be for a while, maybe a year or so.., And still, but no promises!" said the Doctor, wagging a finger for emphasis like a stern uncle.

Boromir grabbed the Doctor in a bear-hug with a sharp bark of laughter. The Doctor gave Jack a wink and a mischievous smile.

"Now, a small favor, please." The Doctor grunted, Boromir's hug that tight.

"Anything you wish," Boromir said, and meant it.

"Well, I can't breathe, so could you please..?"

"Oh! I am so sorry!" Boromir released the Doctor.

"Now, I need you to keep our little trip between us and our friends only, and those you do tell? You really need to explain that I plan to take them for a ride, but only one, and that only after I've done everything I need to do here. I have my medication to work on, I need to work with Jack to help him control his mind reading and projecting, and of course, we both have to get ourselves sorted. That's a lot to do."

"Is there anything I may do to help?" Boromir asked.

"Well, actually, I would like a cup of tea. Do you think you could get that for me? I'm sure Merry and Pippin will be around, you might ask them if they would care to accompany you. I can do some work while you're gone."

"Certainly! Anything else?"

"Well, yes. Elrond has agreed to give me a very small amount of _lembas,_ just to help me relax a bit, and I'd like you lot to be with Jack, just in case it doesn't work out, you know. D'you suppose you could do that for me?"

"It would be an honor."

"And I'd like it very much if Jack would privately explain to you everything the TARDIS can do. You can't tell _anyone_, and I mean that. So perhaps some time over the next few days, while I'm working? It would give the both of you something to do while I'm busy."

"Certainly, sir."

"Boromir?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't…don't call me sir, please."

"Very well, s—erm, Doctor." Boromir smiled sheepishly. "Shall I get your tea for you now? And perhaps a bit of cake or pie?"

"Pie! Pie would be lovely, just…just…Jack?" the Doctor looked a bit distressed.

"No pears," Jack said, grinning and shaking his head.

"I know about the pears. Consider it done." Boromir nodded to himself and headed to the kitchens. They listened as his boots clunked down the hall with his vigorous stride and heard an exuberant "Ha!" It was actually a passable imitation of the Doctor.

Jack wondered if people here punched the air. If they did, he could imagine Boromir had done so. "So, he's the Cowboy? The one who takes 21st century people to other planets?"

"Isn't it brilliant? And I never would have figured that out if he hadn't swatted my bottom. When I met the Cowboy, I thought he was kidnapping humans. So I confronted him. Rather harshly, too. He failed to appreciate it, I can tell you that. Fair play to him, though, he remembered me, and at that time I hadn't yet met Boromir. He introduced me to his passengers, and they explained that he took only humans that wanted to go. And then he swatted my bottom and said I should remember that."

Jack laughed. "And he only did that because he remembered doing it here, and wanted to be sure you remembered him when you met him here. Which means we're supposed to take him with us."

"Exactly! His DNA will change, you know, the Tandorians do that because he'll be spending so much time in space. It's to strengthen his bones and blood vessels, make his respiratory system more efficient and so on. As a side effect, he'll look slightly different, not much, but enough so as he resembles his old self, yet different enough to put you off knowing for sure. He won't even have green eyes anymore, they'll turn bright blue, bluer even than yours. We're going to have to rescue him from the Anduin. Apparently, he's not actually dead when they give him his send-off. We'll have to pop in and fetch him, put him in the med bay, get him well and then take him to Tandoria, where he learns to become a new person. Literally!"

"I have a funny feeling about his choice of name." Jack said, smiling.

"I know! The Doctor, the Captain and the Cowboy!" The doctor snickered. "I love it. Don't you love it?"

"It's fantastic, of course I love it."

The Doctor looked at Jack, opened his mouth to say something else, closed it with a clack of his teeth, then tugged an ear, finally just clearing his throat loudly.

"What?" Jack said, recognizing the signs.

"I really, really need to talk to you about something."

"Yeah? Jack's brow furrowed.

"I, well, that is…" the Doctor rubbed the back of his head and cleared his throat again.

"Just spit it out, Doc."

The Time Lord pulled up a chair and sat, pulling his long legs under him so that he could nervously pick at his shoelaces. "Well, there's this woman."

Jack's brows rose. He pulled a chair near the Doctor and sat, fingers tented together, giving the Doctor his full attention.

"I rather thought that might get you interested," the Doctor said. "Blimey, this is so shaming."

"Doc, I can't answer you unless you ask."

"Welll, I'm going to meet her. Welll, I already did, but as this me. She had already met a future me, but I hadn't met her yet…the woman I met is her later on, after she's known me for quite a while. Timey-wimey…"

"I get the picture, former Time Agent, remember?"

"Yeah…anyway, I think a future me is going to fall in love with her. In fact, I'm pretty sure of it." He said dreamily, dark eyes wide and starry.

Jack beamed. "Doc! I can't tell you how happy this makes me! I always knew you had it in you. Is she pretty?"

"Oh, I should say so, she's quite a handsome woman. She has this…this…hair, and her eyes are…and she has these lips, and…oh, Jack her…" Here he gestured in a nebulous manner, indicating a woman's figure in a rather confusing way.

Jack carefully schooled his expression. He wouldn't make the Doctor feel inadequate for anything, though Jack did find the Time Lord's demeanor sweetly amusing. "And you have a relationship with her?"

"I haven't yet, but I'm going to, which means I will have." The Doctor grinned like a cat in the cream.

"And..?"

"Well, she's…she's rather more experienced than I am, and it's been so long for me that I've forgotten so much, and she's human as well, and…I made so many mistakes with Rose and Reinette, so I was wondering if maybe you might…ahem. Well, if you could…well, you do a lot of flirting, and you know more about humans in that way, and she's a very good flirt, herself, and I was hoping…"

"That I could give you a few pointers?"

"Yeah. That. Nothing crass or crude, though."

"Doc."

"What?"

Jack arched one brow. "How many people have you seen me flirt with?"

"I've lost count. All of them?"

"The ones I'm crude or crass with? Those are the ones I'm not serious about."

The Doctor ruminated a bit on that. His face suddenly lit up in revelation. "You…you do that with me!"

"And why would I do that?

"Well, I think… Jack! All this time, you've been yanking my rope!"

"Chain, Doc, the expression is chain. For someone as smart as you are, you can be a little slow on the uptake. Do you honestly think that if I really, truly wanted you that I couldn't have finessed you into the sack by now? I mean, really, Doc, you're such an innocent, you'd be easy pickings for me, you do know that, don't you?"

"Well, I…I never really thought of it like that. Now you mention it, I've not seen to many turn you down, once you've decided you really want them. Does this mean you don't really fancy me? Am I that unattractive? You fancy almost everyone else. Am I so awful?" The Doctor looked befuddled, and to Jack's everlasting amusement, even a little hurt. It made Jack want to tousle his hair.

"Doc, come on, now! Of course you're attractive! And yes, a part of me still does fancy you, always will. But I've had, what, over a hundred and forty years to come to grips with our relationship. If you count the time I was buried, it's closer to two thousand years. I know you'll never reciprocate, I'm not even sure I'd want you to. As adorable as I think you are…you're the _Doctor._ You're _my_ Doctor. You know, the one I don't like to hear use swear words? I've sort of moved on from that."

"So, does this mean you're going to stop flirting with me?"

"Not a chance, angel face." Jack laughed. "It's too much fun."

"Jack…you are being honest with me, aren't you?"

"Maybe."

"Jack! Now, that's just arbitrary!"

"Keeps you on your toes. What else do you want me to teach you?"

"Oh, yes, River, her name is River, River Song. I did tell you she's rather experienced. And some of you humans have sort of strange little quirks with your sexuality."

"And Time Lords don't?"

"Well, I suppose to humans, we would. That business about looming children, for one thing. And Gallifreyan courtship is rather like watching paint dry, to be honest, compared with you lot. But there's some things that textbooks don't really explain about humans all that well."

"Like..?"

"When I asked her why she carried handcuffs, she gave me this funny look. Stuff like that."

Jack laughed, shook his head. "Oh, Doc! You're such a child sometimes. But okay, I'll explain it all to you, but not too much. Maybe she wants to be the one to introduce you to certain pleasures, after all. And I can show you some flirting tips. Also, there's other things, like picking up on her heart rate, how dilated her pupils are, her respiration, body temperature, things like that. Sounds like she's going to romance you, and you'll need to do the same for her. I know a trick or two about romance as well, I'm not just some animal in perpetual rut, I do have a heart and a soul, you know." Jack paused, looked at the Doctor and smiled indulgently. "You're blushing, you do know that, don't you?"

"She called me 'sweetie,'" the Doctor crowed, looking rather pleased with himself. "And she called me 'pretty boy.'"

"Well, you're going to be her sweethearts! And I'd have to agree with her."

"I rather thought you only let on you felt that way because you wanted me to have sex with you. I don't _feel_ like a pretty boy. I mean, I don't think I'm ugly, either, but, really, a pretty boy?"

"Doc, a lot of people don't see themselves as all that attractive, doesn't mean they aren't. If I didn't think you're attractive, I wouldn't say you are. Even Gwen was drooling over you. And she's _nuts_ about Rhys!"

"I just thought you found everyone attractive."

"I can find something attractive about most people, Doc, I'm not hung up on appearance, not completely, you know. Do you need a laundry list of what I find pleasing in a potential partner? Because, frankly, as foxy as you are to me, that's not what I found to be so fascinating. It's the real you, not the outer shell. It's just that your physical appearance happens to coincide with your inner you. And I'm not the only one who thinks so, in case you never noticed."

The Doctor made a soft, amused sound. "I have noticed, you know. Donna and Mickey were the only ones that never really put any pressure on me that way." He sighed. "I miss Donna."

"I know you do," Jack said, giving him an understanding smile. "She was so good for you. She never put expectations on you, except in the best ways, ways that were unselfish and so good for you. She didn't let you bullshit her or yourself. She made you take care of yourself. She loved you so unselfishly. And somehow, deep in her heart, I bet she still does, even if she can't ever remember you."

The Doctor sighed again, looking at Jack gratefully. "Well, you aren't so bad, yourself, Captain. You've never let me down, even though you had every right to."

"Look, I know I'm a pain in the ass. More than half the time I do it because you kind of expect me to be a pain in the ass. I do try to be a good friend, though, and I try to do things the way I think you'd want me to, although we don't agree on everything…but you gotta admit, I'm not boring!"

"No, you certainly are not boring! Impossible, but not boring."

"And I look good!" Jack said, turning on his megawatt smile.

"I've said it before, Jack," the Doctor grinned wickedly. "You're the only man you're ever gong to be happy with."

"You're probably right," Jack said. "My Doctor, soon to be the sweethearts of some winsome lady, who's going spirit you away from us and have her wicked way with you!"

"Oh, I rather hope so!" the Doctor laughed.

"That's you, leaving a trail of broken hearts across the universe." Jack smirked.

"Stop it!"

"Oh, don't be so modest, you know it's true! Rose, Martha, Sara Jane, Reinette. Me."

"Stop it."

Jack's face sobered suddenly. "You really don't believe it, do you? You really don't believe you're worth loving. That's why you push everyone away! You believe they'll do that to you, so you just beat them to the draw."

The Doctor said nothing. He averted his eyes.

"Now you just hold on there one damn minute, mister." Jack said earnestly. "I'll admit, I'm no great shakes, but the rest? Come on, Doc! I know all of them but Reinette, and they're all wonderful, intelligent, loving women. And Reinette, she was Madame de Pompadour, one of the most remarkable women in old earth history. What about Astrid Perth? I never met her, but she sounds like she was a fantastic woman. I wouldn't exactly call them brainless bimbos. And what about Donna? She didn't love you that way, but she did love you, and just because she can't remember you doesn't mean what she felt was any less real and important."

"Jack, you do realize that to many of my companions, I'm like some magical fairy God-father, come to spirit them away from their sad, boring little lives? They love him, not me. Look at Boromir! And that's Boromir! Of Gondor!"

"So maybe it starts out like that at first. But Doc, it doesn't take all that long to get to know you, to realize that you aren't all that much different from us, with the same hopes and wishes and dreams and faults and yes, even failures, as the rest of us. And I resent you insinuating that about Rose, Martha and Sara Jane." He placed a hand on the Time Lord's shoulder and shook it gently. "You do know I used to meet up with Martha and Sara Jane, along with Mickey, Sara Jane's son Luke and Martha's family on a regular basis? We even got Donna's granddad to join us a couple of times. We used to meet up and cook dinner together a few times a year. And when we sat down to eat, we always toasted our absent friend, the Doctor."

"Jack, come on!" the Doctor said, dark eyes snapping. "Look at what happened to all of you! Every one of you would have been better off to have never met me."

"You don't get to speak for us like that; you certainly don't get to speak for me! I was a low-life creep when you met me. And if you keep thinking like that, you'll wind up thinking the same thing about your River Song, that she'd be better off not to have met you, too! We aren't your stupid little puppets, Doc!" He leaned in towards the Doctor to give his words emphasis.

"We do have free will, whether you want to see that or not! Do you realize how egotistical you sound when you say shit like that? Whether we love you or not isn't up to you to decide! That's our decision, not yours." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Geez, what's anybody supposed to do with somebody like you? Do we get to beat you? Because you make me want to just smack you some times."

"Egotistical? Really?" the Time lord seemed to draw into himself, inspecting his own innermost workings.

"Yeah, egotistical!"

"Blimey, I suppose you're right. I don't want that to happen with River, even though it won't actually be this me that's with her, but one of my future selves. One of my _possible _future selves, I should say, time being in flux and all."

"You…you aren't about to go and regenerate on us, are you?" Jack looked worried. "Because none of us are ready to let this you go yet. And before you ask, yes, we do talk about this sort of thing with you. Davros was right about us, in that regard. We _are _your Children of Time."

"If it's any comfort to you Jack, I'm not ready to go yet. Don't fret yourselves." The Doctor gave his shoulder a pat. "Tell you what. I'd like to get together with the rest and have dinner with all of you sometime. Think maybe we could do that?"

Jack sighed. "When I get ready to go back to earth, sure." His face was unreadable, but the Doctor didn't seem to notice, to Jack's relief.

"That sounds great. You just let me know. Have Martha give me a ring. Now, could you go and see what's keeping Boromir with that tea? I do need to finish isolating the Miruvor molecule."

"Sure," Jack said. "Don't work too hard!"

The Doctor waited until Jack's steps faded down the hallway. He walked over to the window overlooking the little spring. He leaned against the sill, supporting his weight on his hands. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, fighting back tears. "I don't want to go…" he said softly. He heard a soft splat as a tear hit the windowsill.


	13. Chapter 13

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 13

* * *

When Jack found Boromir the first thing he noticed was the presence of Merry and Pippin. The second thing was the impatient demeanor of the Gondorian. Not waiting for an invitation, Jack sat across from Boromir.

As if Pippin had read Jack's mind, he piped up with "We are waiting for a chance to ask someone for the Doctor's tea and pie. The kitchens are very busy this time of day."

"Well, he's a bit busy just now himself," Jack said. "He sent me to see what was taking so long, only I don't think that's the real reason. He's working on his medications right now. I think he just wanted me out of his hair for a bit."

"Will he be all right alone?" Boromir asked, brow slightly furrowed, "As you say, he is still not well."

Jack grinned inwardly. '_Already worrying about him?' _Jack thought, _'Get used to it, he affects all of us like that. Next thing you know you'll be using yourself as a human shield to protect him and you'll get a little possessive sometimes. Classic onset of Doctor Fever. Count yourself lucky, it's a pretty exclusive club; not a lot of people under that umbrella.' _Aloud he said, "He should be all right for a little while, but I know what you mean. He needs to work, but he really shouldn't be alone too much."

"Quite right," Boromir agreed.

"Funny, isn't it?" Jack gave a self-effacing smile. "How you start right away worrying about him. It happened to me, too"

"Surely, it is a remarkable thing, the way he moves the heart to friendship with such ease. I have begun to understand your loyalty to him. When first we met, I wondered at the nature of your friendship. I could not quite make out why it is you seem so much attached to him. Of course, I sensed your fealty to him as one soldier to another, yet I saw something more.

"It goes further than mere friendship, as well. Now I see that there is a bond there much like that of family, yet even this does not quite describe it. How do you, yourself, explain it? I would not ask this of just anyone, it is only that you seem to be able to open your heart where he is concerned."

"In truth!" Merry agreed. "Pippin and I agree, you and the Doctor are more like hobbits, where friendship is concerned." Looking about, he perked up as something caught his eye. "Oh, look, I see an elf who looks not quite so busy. I shall tell him about the tea and pie. We should take it to him ourselves, since everyone is so busy."

"How would I describe my relationship with the Doctor?" Jack said. He'd asked himself this very question. By the time he figured out an answer, Merry had returned. "I guess if you asked me that question a dozen times in one day, you'd get a dozen different answers. In the long run, does it really matter?"

"Only inasmuch as I may gain knowledge," Boromir said. "I seek understanding in this matter, for I now consider myself his friend also."

"Perhaps," Pippin countered, "We should not pick it apart. Why question your heart so? I quite feel he is my friend now, too. As to how it all goes, only time will tell!"

"Odd, is it not,' added Merry. "Our conversations seem to turn to your wizard so often."

Jack could only laugh. "Yes, that does seem the case. He doesn't mean to do it, it's just that once you get to know him, you seem to find him in the back of your mind more often than he would ever guess. Not that he's comfortable with that, he wants us to have lives of our own. I think he just doesn't understand how he affects people."

"Perhaps it is because he is the only one of his kind left," Pippin said. "You said he is so very lonely…perhaps he doesn't realize he is seeking someone, and since he is a wizard, when he's lonely, he reaches out without quite knowing he is doing it. And there he is, right in the middle of your heart."

Jack sat in silence for a moment, simply looking at the little Took before a gentle smile spread across his features. "You know, Pippin," Jack said. "I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about you that reminds me of my wizard."

Merry grinned. "It is the Took blood," Merry said. "It's been said that one of the Tooks took a fairy wife."

"Come now, Merry," Pippin glowered. "Now we all know that's nonsense!"

"If there's one thing I've learned traveling with the Doctor," Jack commented, "it's that nothing is impossible. Maybe very improbable, but not impossible."

"Perhaps with the exception of getting tea and pie," Boromir commented dryly.

"What if the two of us asked?" Merry said, glancing at Pippin.

"Exactly!" Pippin's eyes twinkled. "My father always said the squeaky wheel gets the grease! Even better with two squeaky wheels."

As soon as the hobbits were out of earshot, Boromir turned to Jack. "As to this conversation," he said. "I do not understand —though I am not complaining, mind you—how is it that I have suddenly become quite concerned with the Doctor? Has he cast a spell on me?"

Jack laughed heartily then. Noting the look on Boromir's face he said, "No, I'm not laughing at you! It's just that there's that something about him, something you'll never find in anyone else. Again, he doesn't mean to do it. In fact, I think we do it to ourselves. Ever take a good look into his eyes?"

"Indeed, I have." Boromir's brows drew downward thoughtfully. "I see things in his eyes I have never seen in anyone else's. No elf or wizard has ever made me feel what I feel when I look into his eyes. It is as though the weight of all creation lies there. And yet…even with so great a burden, there is that in his eyes which makes me feel as though there is still a child within him."

"You're catching on pretty quickly," Jack said. "There are damn few he lets into his life like that. It's not always easy, but it's always, always worth it. You're a lucky man, Boromir. I'm really looking forward to bringing you into the fold. You'd best understand, though, you've a lot to learn. And you have to be tight-lipped about this."

Merry and Pippin, pushing a cart laden with tea, coffee, pie, bread and cheese, returned before the conversation could go any further. "Finally!" Merry said. "I think we should go before the tea cools too much."

"I'm looking forward to seeing the Doctor again," Pippin said. "As much as I like it here, it does get a bit boring."

"And Aragorn is still off courting Arwen," Merry added. "Not that I blame him!"

"Aragorn is a lucky man," Jack said. "Not many ever find love like that. But does this mean he won't be joining us tonight when the Doctor talks with us again? Elrond is letting him have just a small amount of _lembas,_ to help him relax enough to talk, and the Doctor wants us with him, just in case the _lembas_ makes him go funny in the head again, as he puts it. But I suppose the four of us will do nicely," Jack said, rising. "Let's just make sure Aragorn knows he's welcome. Have you told Merry and Pippin about the TARDIS yet?"

"He did!" Pippin exclaimed, careful to keep his voice low.

"We can scarcely wait to see it," Merry said. "Come on then, you great slow-coaches! I'm sure the Doctor is ready for his tea."

As they entered the room Jack and the Time Lord shared, they saw the Doctor holding a tube at eye level and buzzing it with his sonic screwdriver. He wore an extremely pleased look on his face. "Fantasic!" exclaimed the Doctor. "_Molto bene!_ Only a few more simple steps and I'll be done. According to my blood samples I need to raise my dosage twice over to reach the proper level of saturation; should take a couple of weeks. Still, that's not such a long time, I suppose. Even if I'm rubbish at going by the Slow Path."

He looked quite happy, but Jack could tell by the redness of his eyes that he hadn't exactly been happy since he had left his friend alone. Careful not to let on, Jack thought, _'So, still having mood swings, eh? We've a ways to go just yet, my friend…' _Aloud, he said, "That's great! But you haven't overdone yourself, have you? Remember what Elrond said. You need to work, but you need rest, too." He poured a little cream into a cup, poured tea into it, then sweetened it with honey. He handed the tea to the Time Lord while Boromir handed him his pie.

The Doctor gave them a half-hearted frown. "Between to two of you, you'll have me spoilt. You sure you want to put up with a bratty Time Lord, Jack?"

"I don't think I need to worry about that," Jack said. "You aren't exactly the type to let yourself be spoiled. Besides, Elrond said you should rest." He glanced in the direction of Merry and Pippin. "They're dying to see the TARDIS. But don't over-do it!"

"Thought they might be," replied the Doctor. "You two, think you can wait until I've had my tea and pie?"

Pippin bounced. "Couldn't Jack show us?"

"Jack is having his coffee," Boromir said. "Patience!"

"Patience is not something Pippin is good at," Merry said, giving his cousin a nudge.

"Well, my friend," said the Time Lord between sips of tea, "You'll have to learn patience if you would like to see the TARDIS. And you musn't touch anything. Not one single thing."

" Promise!" Pippin said.

"Good, good," said the Doctor taking a sizable bite of pie. "Oh, cherry, gorgeous. Very rich in p-menta, also known as 1,7-diene-6ol or 4-isopropenyl-cyclohexenecarbinol, a monoterpene isolated from the essential oils of certain plants. Very good anti-inflammatory, even prevents some cancers. Jack, when we're done showing the hobbits the TARDIS, think you'll be ready to work on controlling your telepathy?"

"Yeah, I'm actually looking forward to it," replied Jack. He looked at the others. "Sometimes he just goes on like that. Just…nod your head."

"Í warn you, working on controlling your telepathy won't be easy," said the Time Lord, taking another sizable forkful of pie. "I want to get on with it early enough in the day for you to rest a bit before I take my _lembas._ You'll be a bit tired, I think. Talking of tired, I wonder if I'll be sleepy again? The Miruvor already does it. Adding the _lembas_ makes me really drowsy."

"Don't worry," Boromir said. "Between the four of us you shall be well tended."

"Last time I fell asleep with the lot of you all in the same bed," he said. "Made me feel like a child."

"There are worse things to feel like," Merry replied.

"Blimey, not when you're nine hundred and six years old!" said the Doctor, his expression somewhere between self-reproach and humor. "And not when you have Gandalf and Elrond grinning at you like…like Cheshire ferrets."

"That's 'cats,'" Jack corrected, seeming to enjoy this a bit too much to suit the Doctor. "And still lookin' good for nine hundred and six!"

"That old?" Boromir did a double-take. "Only elves live that long! You cannot possibly be so old!"

"But I am, and sometimes I feel every bit of it," said the Doctor. "But not when I'm showing off the TARDIS!" He finished his tea, winked at Merry and Pippin and said, "Allons-y!"

"Does he always say 'this way,'" Merry asked.

"I heard 'let's go,'" Pippin said.

As they followed the Time Lord, he explained. "That's the TARDIS's translation circuits," he said. "Anything I say, or Jack for that matter, that you don't understand, the TARDIS will translate for you. The same in reverse for Jack."

"What about you?" Boromir asked.

"I don't need it," said the Time Lord. "I speak something like a thousand different languages."

"Show-off," Jack said. "You still don't get certain human expressions right. So there."

"Let's see you speak a thousand different languages and get them all right!" The Time Lord glowered at Jack.

"Hey, I can't help it if I think it's cute!"

"Stop iiiiit!" The Doctor opened the TARDIS and gestured for everyone to enter. He grinned ear to ear.

"Good heavens!" Merry exclaimed.

"It's…it's…" Pippin stammered.

"Bigger on the inside!" Boromir said, laughing.

"No touching!" Jack admonished. "Want to show them around?" he asked the Doctor.

"Maybe a bit, not too much, though. We need to work on your telepathy."

"Great!" Jack beamed. "Now, whoever thought they'd see a library with a swimming pool in it?"

The Doctor never tired of showing off his TARDIS, and with great relish, he showed them the library, two gardens, the galley, the sitting room, a ballroom Jack had never seen before, a lawn suitable for football and so on, each room more marvelous than the last.

"How big is this thing?" Boromir asked. Jack and the Doctor grinned at each other, seeing Boromir falling in love with the TARDIS.

"Not even the Doctor is sure," Jack said.

"She can move rooms," The Doctor said, grinning with pride. "She has a sense of humor, too. Sometimes she likes to move things and make me look for them."

"I want one!" Pippin exclaimed. "How can I get one?"

"Sorry, you can't, unless you grow one." The Doctor said.

"Hobbits are very good at growing things," Pippin said eagerly.

"Now, Pippin, you've no business with something like this!" Merry scolded.

"No telling what mischief you could get up to with one of these," Boromir added.

"If it makes you feel any better," Jack said, "I want one, too."

"As I said," the Time Lord chided, "You'd have to grow one."

No one noticed Jack playing with something in his pocket, nor did anyone see the smug look on his face. "Now, enough of this," he said, flashing them all his brilliant smile. "I say it's time for my training!"

"Where would you like to do it?" asked the Time Lord. "Choose someplace comfy, we could be at it a while."

"Would it be okay for you if I said my bed?" Jack asked.

"As I said, Jack, someplace comfy. Might as well be your bed, it's going to look, well, rather intimate to our guests anyway. But I'm sure you aren't bothered by that."

"Not in the least." Jack smiled mischievously.

"I'll never civilize you, will I? No matter how hard I try."

Jack tapped his temple. "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here."

"Well, we'll see about that, won't we? Because for better or worse, I'm going there. And I'm a great believer in hope, mind you."

They filed out of the TARDIS and settled in the room. Jack stretched out on his bed and patted the mattress. "Ready when you are, Doc," he said. He smiled, but no one could say it wasn't a nervous smile.

"Budge over, and I'll have your pillow." The Doctor climbed into the bed and sat near Jack's head. He placed Jack's pillow in his lap. "Head on pillow, please."

Jack settled his head on the pillow and took a deep breath. "Little nervous, Doc."

"Don't worry, I'll be very careful. Close your eyes."

Jack obediently closed his eyes, taking another deep breath, trying to force himself to relax. He felt the Doctor's fingers on his temple, cool and gentle.

"I want you to imagine a door. You're standing at the door and I'm waiting for you to let me in. If there's anything you don't want me to see, imagine another door and shut it. I won't look."

"Okay, let's do this thing. Come on in."

The Time Lord gently _pushed._ He met resistance, far more than he expected. "Let me in, Jack, I can't get in. Are you resisting? If you're afraid, I need to know."

"No, I'm not afraid. Maybe it's my condition. Let me try something."

The Doctor felt Jack reaching out to him. This was different. Usually with humans, they only had to grant permission. Actually, the Doctor could force his way in, but his scruples would never allow him to do this. He would never force himself into someone's mind, like some filthy old pervert. This difficulty must be related to Jack's unique place as the only immortal human in the universe. It was something he hadn't counted on. He opened his own mind to Jack, hoping it would make things easier.

There! Jack's mindscape, finally! Jack reaching out, as someone grabbing his hand, pulling him quite forcefully in. In his mind, the Doctor heard a loud popping sound as he found himself in Jack's mindscape, a mindscape rich with imagery. The first thing the Doctor saw was a room filled with precious items, like old photographs, faded letters and treasured childhood toys.

There were images of Jack and his brother standing on a strand and looking out to sea, their father carrying a net full of fish to a campground, his mother tucking her children into bed.

And dead in the center, he saw himself, sitting on an ornately carved marble column in a glass enclosure, like some precious relic. With some amusement, he saw that Jack's mindscape had given him a halo and wings. Well, that certainly explained why Jack insisted on calling him "angel face." Trust telepathy to reveal certain truths. After all, there was no room for dishonesty in this realm.

~_Jack, you really see me that way?~_

_~That's who you are to me. I thought you knew.~_

_~We really need to work on your imagery of me some time, I can't live up to that!~_

_~You already do live up to it. I would just as soon keep it.~_

_~Oh, Jack, Jack, Jack! What do I do with you?~_

_~Nothing. Just keep being who you are, Doc.~_

_~It was so hard to get in here…you have a stronger mind than I had anticipated. But your thoughts go out much easier than I could get in, and I can't have that.~_

_~Does it hurt?~_

_~No, but you have some very vivid images in here that leak into my head sometimes. It's like you're shouting your thoughts, especially when I'm tired or sleeping.~_

_~Most people who try to look into my mind say it's like looking into a dead person's mind.~_

_~~I'm not most people.~_

_~So, what do I do? You'll have to show me.~_

_~We're going to set up a boundary, a nice strong boundary. But I need to see you. Can you show me yourself?~_

_~Here, here I am.~_

The Doctor saw him then, as Jack saw himself compared to his Time Lord. The inner Jack was a just a little boy. He opened the glass where the inner Doctor was and took his hand, pulling him down from the marble column. The Doctor felt a gentle warmth surround him. He picked up the little boy and hugged him gently.

_~There you are, my Jack… I always knew you would look like this as a child. Your parents must have adored you.~_

_~You miss your children.~ _This said with the frank openness of a child.

_~I do. Oh, how I do.~_

_~Will I do? You don't have your children anymore, and my father was killed when the Boeshane Peninsula was invaded.~_

_~Of course you'll do. You always did.~_

The little boy in the Doctor's arms pressed an innocent kiss on the Time Lord's cheek, wrapping his small arms around the Doctor's neck. The Doctor put him down, taking his hand. The inner Jack shifted then, suddenly taller, a teenager now, and already growing into the appealing young man he would be. This must be Jack just before signing up with the Time Agency. He pulled the Doctor along by the hand. There was a long corridor, stretching so far the Time Lord couldn't see the end of it. Many doors were in this corridor. Most of them were wide open.

They passed one marked "First Love." Since it was wide open, the Doctor looked in and saw Jack with a pretty girl with soft, golden brown curls. They were holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes.

_~Jack, remember what I said about closing doors. You don't have to let me see everything!~_

_~I don't mind, really.~_

_~I was afraid you might say that.~_

_~I want you to see! You always judge me. If you see, maybe you'll stop.~_

_~I don't judge you, Jack. I just think you have too little regard for yourself. And you need someone to tell you when to stop.~_

_~I can say that about a certain Time Lord.~_

_~Donna already said it.~_

_~And she was right.~_

They passed another door. The Doctor saw Jack flirting with three individuals of a species that mated in trio, since reproduction required a third sex, neither male nor female. The door was marked "First Serious Love Affair."

_~Blimey, Jack! You started early, didn't you?~_

_~In case you never noticed, Doctor, I happen to think sex is a gift to be shared.~_

_~I have to admit, your lack of shame seems to come more from innocence than anything else. You're like a little child that doesn't mind running about starkers. Kind of sweet, in a way.~_

_~That's just how my society was. We really don't feel shame like certain repressed people do.~_

_~Now who's judging?~_

_~Sorry, it's just that you never let on you even have…thoughts.~_

_~I'm not made of stone, Jack. I have thoughts. It's just not in my nature to share them.~_

They passed door after door. The one marked "Time Agency" seemed rather dark and oppressive, but nothing like the one marked "Early Torchwood Years." In that one the Doctor saw Jack tied to a chair with electrodes fastened to his chest, being repeatedly electrocuted. Beside him was another Jack being vivisected while wide-awake. The Doctor looked at the inner Jack that still pulled him down the corridor by the hand. This was the adult Jack, as he was now. He looked far more worldly-wise than the Time Lord cared for, and he found he missed Little Jack terribly.

They passed two doors, both shut. There were wreathes on them, and names painted on the doors: one read "Tosh," the other "Owen."

_~What happened?~_

_~My brother, Gray. He killed them both.~_

_~Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry.~_

_~Me too, Doc. Me too.~_

There were two more shut doors, both painted black, and when they neared them the Doctor felt a dreadful cold coming from them. One door was painted with the numbers 1965. The other was labeled 456. As the Doctor came to that one he felt a frantic tugging on his hand. He looked at the inner Jack. He was once more a little boy, pulling the Doctor away as hard as he could.

_~No-no-no-no! Stay away! That one is bad, so bad!~_

The Doctor picked up Little Jack and held him. The little boy shivered in his arms, clearly terrified and filled with dread and horror. He buried his face in the Doctor's shoulder.

_~Don't look, don't ever, ever look! Bad, so bad!~_

The Doctor shushed the little one in his arms and hurried away. Whatever was in those two rooms, it was up to Jack whether to share them or not, and clearly he was simply unable to do that, at least for now.

_~You're all right, you're all right, don't worry, I won't look, I promise.~_

_~Make it go away! Please make it go away!~_

_~I can't. I'm sorry, Jack. I just can't. We'll leave it.~_

_~If you look, you'll hate me!~_

_~I can never hate you, Jack. Never.~_

_~Yes, you will.~_

And Little Jack sounded so serious, so certain when he said it that the Doctor felt his hearts break a little. And he knew, he just knew, that whatever haunted Jack was behind those hated and feared doors. He carried the child past them, trying desperately to calm the little one. He put Little Jack down and hurried away, hand in hand.

_~Let's look for a good memory.~_

_~Here, Doc, here's one!~_

The Doctor looked into the room and saw himself and Jack piloting the TARDIS together. From the conversation the Doctor knew it was when they had gone to Woman Wept, back before it was frozen, when it was still pretty much a tropical paradise.

Another door revealed a time when the Doctor had allowed Jack to talk him into getting a bit drunk and they had wound up singing in a karaoke bar. Quite badly, too. Martha and Donna had come along for that little adventure and Jack and the Doctor had been forced to put up with endless teasing over it since their choice of song had been "Feelings." The Doctor heard Donna shout at them. "Oi, get a room, you two!" Nothing like a little bad judgment to create a good memory, it seemed.

Finally, they arrived at a place with a door marked "Telepathy." The Time Lord looked at the inner Jack then, relieved to find the adult Jack grasping his hand.

_~Let's build this boundary, shall we?~_

_~Let's do…this has been a lot more challenging than I thought it might be.~_

_~I know, Jack. I know it's hard for you, I told you it would be.~_

_~How do we do it?~_

_~Well, we could build a wall or a fence. Whatever symbol would work for you.~_

_~Can it be a castle? With a moat?~_

_~Better to keep it simple, really.~_

_~A fence, then. Made of plasteel. That should do it.~_

_~Quite right.~_

Nearby appeared sheets of plasteel. Light and flexible, it was easily stretched across the area. They made sure to leave a gate in case Jack needed to use telepathy. Otherwise he would be rendered mind blind.

_~There. All done.~_

_~And this will keep my thoughts from randomly invading yours?~_

_~Should do, should do quite nicely.~_

_~Back the way we came then? Or can we leave from here?~_

_~No, no…we have to go back the way we came. This is a very deep level of your mind. If we just left right now it could cause damage, and I'm not sure if it would repair itself the next time you die.~_

_~Come on, then!~_

Jack grasped the Doctor's hand and they walked together back up the corridor. On the way the Doctor spotted a door with a duplicate Jack of around four years standing guard. The shut door had a little sign on it that read "Jaks Sekrit Stuf." The Little Jack standing guard wore a colander on his head like a helmet and grasped a wooden sword.

The next door had a sign, too, but was wide open. It was clearly marked "Stories of My People."

_~Oh, now, I have got to look into that one if you don't mind!~_

_~Sure, Doc! I haven't looked in there in ages!~_

The Doctor entered the room and surveyed the planet of Boe in miniature. He had visited it himself long ago, and it was indeed a verdant and beautiful place, mostly oceanic and quite the goldilocks planet. In this room, the history of the colonies played in an endless loop, no doubt taught to Jack when he was a child in school.

He saw the first colonists arriving through space, in a ponderous chain of interconnected pods pulled by a ship called _The Perseverance. _He chain of pods stretched behind the ship for hundreds and hundreds of miles. Her golden solar sails stretched out on either side of the ship like enormous butterfly wings. The people in the pods had been kept alive by slowing their lives down to near nothingness, but they could still communicate telepathically. A dawning realization came to the Doctor then, one that explained so much. Of course! Of course! Now it was so easy to understand Jack's people, and therefore Jack himself… He started to share his thoughts with Jack, but when he looked at the inner Jack, he saw the immortal looked terribly tired.

_~Silly, Jack, just stone dead stupid of you to not let me know you're so worn out. Well, why shouldn't you be? Come on then, it's time for me to go.~_

Now it was the Time Lord who led Jack. They returned to the first area the Doctor had come to. He went to his glass case and hopped up on the marble column.

_~Time to go, Jack. Thanks for doing this with me!~_

Little Jack was back now. He rubbed his eyes and yawned hugely, shutting the glass encosure.

_~Come back any time!~_

_~Hopefully it won't come to that.~_

The Doctor closed his eyes and _pushed. _It took several tries, a thing that astounded and almost, but not quite frightened him. He struggled a bit, then felt Jack give a helping push. Finally, with another loud popping sound, he was back in his own head. He opened his eyes and found he had slumped to the point where his nose almost brushed Jack's nose. He sat up, lungs expanding with a sawing inhalation of breath.

He smiled at Jack. "Hello," he said softly, letting his fingertips finally leave Jack's temple. "How are you? Tired? Headache?"

Jack smiled back. "Just a little tired, that's all. No headache."

"A little tired? Oh, I don't think so. You're knackered, you are." The Doctor grinned, squirming out of the bed to pace back and forth. "Me? I'm just stupid. A big old outer space dunce, as Donna used to say."

Jack propped himself up on his elbows and looked at the Time Lord quizzically. "What are you babbling about?"

"My head! My stupid head!" He turned and pointed at Jack. "Your people, Jack! Stuffed in those little pods for decades and decades, only able to touch a little with their minds! Imagine it! Oh, that must have been so, so lonely. Humans aren't meant to live like that, they need to be touched, held, kissed. If they don't get that they suffer from a thing called Skin Hunger. Think of it! All those decades, just eaten up with Skin Hunger. They internalized it. It became part of the societal norm, the need to be touched, held, kissed, _loved! _ That's you, Jack Harkness! That's you all over, just needing to be touched and loved."

He sat on the side of Jack's bed and pulled his friend into an embrace. "And yes, Jack. You'll do. You'll do just fine. I do still miss my children, always will. You'll always miss your father. But we can make do, can't we?"

Jack tightened his arms around the Doctor's chest and laid his head on his friend's shoulder. "Yeah," he said, his voice a little thick. "I think we just might be able to muddle along, Old Man."

"Old Man?" I like that!"

"All right then, angel face."

"Now, you just lie back down and have a rest. I know you're worn out."

Yawning, Jack did as he was told. The Doctor sat beside him until his breathing became steady and even. He gently brushed Jack's hair from his forehead. "My Jack. My poor little Jack."

It wasn't until he heard Pippin sniffle that he remembered they weren't alone.


	14. Chapter 14

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 14

* * *

"Think I'd like to stretch my legs a bit," said the Doctor. "Would you nice gentlemen like to come along while Jack is resting?"

Boromir, Merry and Pippin looked at the Doctor, his expressive brows accentuating the question and making a statement: _'I would like a word with all of you about Jack.'_ Nodding their heads and standing as one, they followed the Doctor as he stepped out into the spacious hallway. The hobbits had the good sense to bring the tea cart with them. It was as good an excuse as any to head back to the kitchens, and so that is where they went.

Clearly the Time Lord wanted to speak with them about his friend, though Boromir, long accustomed to discussing matters of import amongst the great, would have put it another way : the Doctor wanted 'a word or ten hundred.'

Merry and Pippin knew this too. After all, the Doctor was quite chatty when he put his mind to it. "Before we get started I want some tea," Merry said. "Would anyone else? We can get it quickly, now the kitchens are no longer so busy. Boromir? No? Some wine, perhaps? And you, Doctor? Or may I, like Jack, call you 'Doc?'"

"Just tea, please," said the Time Lord. "But please…call me Doctor. Jack only does it because he knows I hate it."

"Not to worry, Doctor!" Merry replied. The hobbits completed this task with eager proficiency, curious as to what this fascinating man might have to say, and soon all were settled with their beverage of choice: Merry and the Doctor with tea, Boromir with wine and Pippin with ale.

"Now, what have you to say to us about Jack?" Boromir started.

"First I would like to know how much you all understood about what I said about Jack's people," said the Doctor.

"Not very much, except that they could not touch each other for a very long time," Pippin replied for himself and the others.

"Yes, that happened when Jack's people went to live among the stars," said the Time Lord. "It's such a long journey that they all would have died of old age, except that they were all put in these little containers called pods, which slowed down their lives so they would all survive the journey instead of dying of old age. It took them eighty-seven years, eleven months, twenty six days, eighteen hours, forty two minutes and nine point nine seconds. Approximately. Now, all that time, they could speak to each other but only through reading each other's minds. They couldn't touch each other at all, not even mothers and children.

"Can you imagine what this did to them? My people were not very affectionate people. In fact, to me, they were rather cold, and that's from someone who grew up among them. But compared to what Jack's people went through? Oh, I had it good compared to them, I did! People are supposed to touch each other. They do it all the time. Why, just sit back sometimes and notice it! So many times a day, a touch on the arm, a pat on the back, a hand being held, a hug, a kiss.

"You see there's this…stuff…that's in our bodies called oxytocin. Its job is to make us love and trust each other, and to sympathize with and understand each other. If you've ever petted a dog and felt better for it, that's what oxytocin does. It also helps new mothers bond to their babies, and lovers to bond to each other. When we touch each other with with respect and affection, we make more oxytocin, in us as well as in who we touch. It helps us to bond, to trust, and yes, to love. Which also means it helps us relax. We empathize with each other more easily. People _need_ to be touched.

"People who aren't touched enough become ill, they wither. It can actually cause babies to fail, to grow up underdeveloped. Some can even become quite violent. Touch is as important to people as food and drink, my friends. And Jack's people were starved for it. So naturally, when everyone settled into their new colonies, this hunger made itself known. It demanded to be satisfied. And so Jack's people—including Jack—have been making up for it ever since.

"The first colonists couldn't get enough touching. They must have passed it on down through generation after generation. It's why they find it so easy to…ehm…share love? Yes, to share love, among themselves and all the strange people that live among the stars. I think Jack isn't being touched enough. That makes it very hard for him to talk, and Elrond has said Jack has a shadow on his heart, and needs to talk, as I do.

"But Jack can't use _lembas _to relax_, _like I can. He needs to be touched more. I can help, but I can't do nearly enough, not by myself. So! I'm asking you all to help. If you would, do you think you could just…casually touch him now and then? Make eye contact, too, that's part of it. You know, squeeze his shoulder, touch his arm, sit next to him, that sort of thing? Look him in the eye when you speak to him. I know you hobbits like hugs. If we can touch him more, perhaps in a few days he might feel like talking. So what do you say, yeah? Think you could be real friends to Jack? Help me help him to help himself?"

Boromir grinned. "Jack said you could chatter when you put your mind to it. But yes, I was planning on spending more time with him while you work," said Boromir. "I can help. He's a good man, and he likes me well enough. I'm sure I can help. Aragorn, too, I am sure will do what he may."

"Merry and I will help, too, won't we, Merry?" Pippin said "We can play some games with him and such."

"The pair of you have been training with me," Boromir added. "Jack was a soldier, too, you know. I would wager he knows a trick or two in the art of defending oneself. That's something you three can do together. There should be plenty of opportunities for two young rascals like you to help out."

"You are a very good friend to Jack, Doctor," Pippin said. "No wonder he loves you so much."

"Unfortunately I haven't been as good a friend to Jack as I should have been," admitted the Time Lord, his expressive eyes filled with regret. "But I'm trying to do better by him now. For as long as we've known each other I don't think either one of us has ever understood what we mean to each other, but that's all going to change now. I'm to blame for his immortality, and though I'll live a long time, I hope, even I won't live as long as he will. I need to help him be ready for the day when I'm no longer around for him. He's my responsibility, and I've been like a bad father to him. But I'm trying to make it all up to him now. It's the least I can do."

Pippin and Merry descended upon the Time Lord then, hugging him fiercely. "You are so a good friend to him," Pippin asserted. "And you'll be a better father, too. I know it in my heart."

The Doctor laughed, then, his eyes crinkling with happiness. "Thank you, thank you, all three of you, for helping me with Jack. You're all just…just…_brilliant!"_

"He said you are clever," Boromir said, and a smile played around his mouth and eyes as well. "He did not say you have a great heart, but I see now that you do. I see much to admire in you, Doctor. Much indeed."

He couldn't help noticing the look on the Time Lord's face. Clearly, the Doctor didn't see much to admire in himself. Boromir reached across the table and touched the back of the Time Lord's hand. He looked at the Doctor reproachfully. "Yes," he insisted. "Much to admire indeed."

"Well, if you say so," replied the Doctor, not sounding convinced. "Now, do you think perhaps we might arrange for a bit of riding? It's a good place to start, and I don't want Jack to realize what we're doing. He'll only balk. I'll get him to let me ride with him. He doesn't need to know I can ride quite well. No letting on, any of you!"

"There are more than enough horses, I see no reason why not," Boromir said. "But we mustn't wander too far. Our greatest enemy is rising. His Eye is casting about, and he has spies everywhere. I shall not tell Jack what we are doing, but I warn you, Doctor, I shall tell him of the dangers. He would never forgive me if I was remiss and some harm came to you. I have heard the tale of your arrival. I am no coward, but Jack Harkness is one man I do not wish to have angry with me. They say when he feared for your safety he was like a lion with a toothache!"

The Doctor chuckled dismissively. "You just leave Jack to me," he said. "I'm not blind, nor so stupid that I don't know his loyalty borders on insanity at times. I couldn't have a more loyal friend. But even if you do make him angry, I'll calm him down."

"Doctor," Boromir said warningly, "Do not try to get him to take you beyond the borders of Imladris! I know you can be tricky, and I see it in your eyes that you love a risk too much for your own good!"

"I won't, I promise."

"I also know you expect your friends to trust you," Boromir said. "Please, I ask you not to have me misplace my trust. No wandering too far! And know this, I am quite the horseman. You two shall not out-ride me!"

"I promise! I do, I promise," assured the Time Lord. "Little ride about Imladris? What could possibly go wrong?"

"Not much, I suppose," Boromir said worriedly. "Still, I shall keep my eye on you, if it is all the same to you."

The Doctor simply muttered under his breath, "Blimey…" He stood up then and nodded his head in invitation for his friends to walk with him.

They meandered about a bit, going nowhere in particular, just killing time until the evening meal. Stopping by the stables, Boromir showed the Time Lord the horses available to them as well as his own mount. The beasts seemed pleased to see them, nodding their heads and whickering for attention.

After leaving the stables, they passed by the smithy. The Doctor paused and watched the elven smiths working on a blade. Boromir watched the Time Lord's face as it took on an expression of sadness, perhaps even bitterness.

"Something troubles you?" Boromir asked.

The Doctor looked at him and Boromir saw again the heaviness and sadness in his eyes, the weight of all creation, as he had put it. The Gondorian didn't shudder, but felt he could have. How much pain had this man endured? What could have caused such a crushing sadness? How many times had his soul been rent asunder? When the Time Lord didn't answer, Boromir simply placed his hand on the Doctor's shoulder and guided him away from the smithy and towards his room.


	15. Chapter 15

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 15

* * *

"Jack,"

"Go 'way."

"Jack, time to get up. You should eat something."

Jack opened his eyes to see the Doctor peering down at him, left eyebrow cocked in that no-nonsense look he could do so well. Jack smiled. He stretched, cat-like, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Hey there, old man."

The Doctor gave him his Grumpy Doctor look. "Blimey, not another nickname," he muttered.

"Oh, lighten up!" Jack grinned mischievously. "Could be worse. I could call you sweet cheeks. Or doll face. Or—"

"What's wrong with 'Doctor,' hmm? Just plain 'Doctor.' Is that too much to ask? I'm not that old. And I'm definitely not your sweet cheeks! Or any of those other things!"

"Fine, then. I'll just stick to angel face."

The sound of laughter let Jack know they had an audience. Boromir, Aragorn, Merry and Pippin were there, along with two carts laden with food.

Another look at the Doctor showed him to be rolling his eyes, face pinched in irritation. "You said you had gotten over all that!" he grumbled.

"But I never said I'd stop teasing you," Jack countered.

The Doctor gave a soft growl, then sighed, resigned to his fate. "Just…get up and eat."

"Okay, okay!"

"At least with food in your mouth you can't talk," the Doctor muttered.

"Well aren't you in a fine mood," Jack said, then wished he'd bit his tongue. Of course, the Doctor was moody. Wasn't that what wound them up here? He sighed. "Sorry, Doc."

"Eat, Jack," the Doctor said. He placed his hand on Jack's chest and gave him a half-irate, half playful push. "Guess I'm going to be stuck with angel face."

Jack caught his hand. He examined it while the Doctor looked at him quizzically. "Your hand! It doesn't look so…wasted. You're putting weight back on."

The Doctor nodded and looked rather pleased with himself. Jack laughed and pulled him into a hug. "You're coming back, aren't you? You have a ways to go, but you're doing it, aren't you?" He held the Time Lord at arm's length, looking him up and down just to be sure.

"I'm trying very hard," the Doctor said. "Supplements help. Course, Time Lord physiognomy does speed up the process. Didn't think it was showing just yet, but yeah. I do feel a bit stronger. Now come and eat, you great numpty."

After a meal of braised rabbit Jack poured a dose of Miruvor for the Doctor, which he used to chase down a tiny corner of _lembas_, scrunching up his face with a "Well, here goes nothing!"

"So, what did you do while I was napping?" Jack asked.

"Went to the kitchens, had tea, wandered about a bit," said the Doctor. "We visited to stables, too. Oh, I'd love to go riding. Wish I were good with horses. Never had much experience with them, though."

"Hey, I'm pretty good with them, I'd be happy to take you riding if we can borrow a horse! I did a lot of riding before World War One, so I have an eye for horseflesh. I'll be sure to pick one that's nice and docile," Jack offered.

Boromir grinned. "I am quite sure that could be arranged," he said. He wore a look of amusement on his face.

"What?" Jack said, wondering what Boromir was thinking.

"Nothing, nothing," Boromir said. "It is only that…well, nothing."

"What!" Jack said, crossing his arms. "Something seems to amuse you, what is it?"

"Well, it is only that a certain someone has you wrapped around his finger. One mention of a ride and you are ready to go! I have family, I know what it is to wish to make someone happy."

"Yeah, guess you got me there," Jack replied. "Especially since a certain someone deserves a little happiness now and then. Because a certain someone doesn't give himself permission to be happy all that much."

"Oi!" said the Doctor. "A certain someone isn't a piece of furniture. A certain someone is in fact in the room and can hear you quite well."

"And a certain someone should know," said Boromir, "that when he goes riding with his friend, I shall be going as well. Just to make sure no one strays too far. These are dangerous times."

"Sounds great to me," Jack said. "We can pack a lunch and make a day of it."

"That does sound like fun," the Doctor said. He blinked hard a couple of times. "Brrrrrr. I think the _lembas_ is kicking in now."

"Don't worry," Jack said. "We're here. You'll do fine. What else did you do?"

"Watched the smithies making a sword," the Doctor said. Once more, he took on a troubled look.

"There, I see that look again," Boromir observed. "Something troubled you whilst you watched the smithies."

"Yes," admitted the Time Lord. He looked at Jack meaningfully. "Remember Davros, in the Crucible?"

"Doc, don't think like that," Jack said. He looked at Boromir. "Davros was an old enemy of the Doctor's. He said some pretty rotten things." He looked at the Time Lord. "And they weren't true."

"Oh, he told the truth, Jack," the Doctor said bitterly. "That's what I do. I take my friends and I fashion them into weapons. And then I profess to me a peace-maker."

"A sword is no more evil than it is good," Aragorn said. "In the hands of the true-hearted, a sword does right, though the price paid may be high. Never have I taken a life lightly, Doctor."

"And a sword at rest is a thing of beauty," Boromir added. "For when it is at rest, there is peace, often bought dearly by the one wielding it. I see now you have bought peace and that the price you paid seems over-much."

"All this is very pretty talk," Jack said. "But Doctor, the swords have minds of their own, in your case. Sometimes doing right means making hard choices. You aren't guilty of anything, except being egotistical again. We all have free will. No one twisted anyone's arm, unless it was Davros. He's the one that put us all in that situation, not you."

"I might add," Aragorn said, "that even when someone speaks a truth, it may be twisted with threads of doubt and wrapped around a lie. You cannot fashion a man into something he does not wish to be. No. Nor a woman. Surely you can see this?"

"Another thing that was said, though," the Doctor replied, "When they called you all my Children of Time…you were all my responsibility. My Companions. I should have done better by all of you."

"Children have a habit of growing up, Doctor," Jack said. "There comes a tipping point when the responsibility isn't yours anymore, even if it feels that way. And you said it yourself; that we're all brilliant. You made us all so proud when you said that."

A slow smile grew on the Time Lord's face then. "And you are. You're all brilliant. I'm so proud of all of you. But I didn't make any of you that way. You were always brilliant."

"Maybe so," Jack said. "But here we go with the sword analogy again. You didn't turn us into swords, but you made the swords strong and beautiful, and you made sure they got used for the right reasons. Steel has to be tempered, Doctor, or it's no good. A blade had to be put to the heat or it shatters. You did that for us. It wasn't always easy, but it made us better, stronger. Give us, and yourself, a little credit."

"When did you get to be so wise, Jack Harkness?" said the Doctor, suddenly smiling gently. "Seems such a short while ago you were a young, irresponsible ex-Time Agent with a head full of nonsense. Just a boy, really."

"I was a self-serving bastard is what I was. It was you and Rose that helped me see past all that."

"Wonder what she would think of us being here?" The Doctor sighed wistfully.

"She'd tell us to make the most of it and get ourselves sorted," Jack said. "She had such a good heart."

"She did that," the Doctor agreed.

Jack saw sadness creeping into the Time Lord's eyes then. He supposed thoughts of Rose would always do that, but for now, he wanted to lift the Doctor's mood. "She also had an excellent bottom," he grinned.

The Doctor laughed and winked. "Oh, yes! She did at that."

"You know, I kind of like how the _lembas_ brings things out in you! You'd never say something like that otherwise. Not my prim, proper Doctor."

"You hear that?" said the Doctor with a grin.

"What's that?"

"The sound of a halo hitting the floor. Honestly, Jack, you can't hold me up to such a standard, I can only fail! You see me as an angel, but angels can fall."

"And if you fall, I'll be there to pick you up and mend your wings," Jack said sincerely, giving his friend's shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

"You would, too, wouldn't you?" The Doctor's face grew more sober then. "I'm so sorry I said those horrible things to you on Malcassairo. Never should have said you were wrong." He paused then and looked at Jack more closely. He cocked his head; with his brown eyes, he resembled a confused puppy. His brows drew downward in thought, and then the Time Lord's eyes as well as his grin grew wide and wild. "Wait! No. Can't be! Can it? Yes! _Ah_ _yes! _Brilliant! Fantastic! _Molto bene!"_

"What? Jack said, concern stamped on his face.

"Jack! Jackity-Jack! You don't feel wrong anymore!" the Doctor scratched his head, making his hair stand up even more wildly. "How? When? No. _Yes! When I went into your mindscape!"_

"I…don't feel wrong anymore?" Jack said, and his face seemed lit with hope. "What do I feel like now?"

"Well, you know how I said it was like looking at an obelisk in the center of the universe?"

"Yeah," Jack said. "Not a pleasant image."

"Well…it's, ahem. We-ell, now, it's…a bit like…well, like looking at a lava lamp. Sort of relaxing, really."

Jack laughed. "So now I'm a lava lamp?"

"_Oh, yes!_ Brilliant!" he suddenly hugged Jack tightly. His laughter filled the room, child-like in its pure joy. "Still Jack the Fact, but a Fact that doesn't feel at all wrong anymore! _Ha!"_

"Do you have any idea how good it feels to hear that?" Jack said. He swung the Doctor around in a little dance, then, jumping, he punched the air with an exuberant "Yes!" His eyes danced for a few seconds. "Wait," he said, suddenly growing sober. "Will I still feel wrong to other temporally sensitive entities? Because that could come in handy where certain items of jewelry are concerned. Or did it change across the boards?"

"No, no, it's just little old me," said the Time Lord. "Feels nice. One less thing I have to feel badly about where you're concerned." His eyes darkened a little and the smile faded. "There's still so much, though, Jack. I've really failed you in so many ways. I have a lot of amends to make with you."

"You should stop worrying about me and work on your own problems, Doc."

"Oh, but don't you see? It's all part of it. Really, Jack, it was me who was wrong all the time."

"No," Jack said, shaking his head, a scowl on his face.

"No getting out of it, Jack, I do have a conscience. I did abandon you. And then I just…turned my back on you, knowing you were having to learn how to live, so to speak, with immortality."

"You couldn't do anything about it without crossing your own timeline," Jack asserted.

"I could have. Crossing my own timeline? I could have put in an appearance while I was in another sector of the galaxy and there would have been no Blinovitch problems. Nothing would have gone all…Belgium. I made mistakes, and I want to make it up to you. Although I do have the excuse of Torchwood. I didn't know you'd changed it. But that was rather late in the game. Still. Could have done better."

"You would have been right to be afraid of Torchwood," Jack said. "Up to the year 2000, anyway. You didn't know I changed it until…"

"The Master." The Doctor's eyes took on that look, that harrowed, haunted look that always indicated he was experiencing memories best left undisturbed.

"Saxon," Jack said, his expression gone all sour. "Can't bear thinking of calling him the Master."

"Now, there's a kettle of fish," said the Time Lord. He looked at Jack then, his eyes pleading. "We should hash this out, Jack. I know it's part of my problems. And I can't believe you've been unscathed. I know it brings back horrible memories for the both of us. But it's time we dusted them off and dealt with them together. Think we can do that?"

Jack looked long at his friend, weighing his words. This was a heavy subject, and yes, he did have horrible memories, and even residual anger at his friend, even knowing the Doctor had been desperate to not be the last of his kind. It would make for a long and painful night, but…

"Yeah," he said. He arranged two chairs facing each other and indicated the Doctor should sit. He took the other chair and leaned forward, elbows on knees, his facial features set in a way that expressed a will of steel. "Yeah, I think it's time we did just that."

The Doctor sat in a pose mirroring Jack's. "Quite right, then," he said. Let's get on with it. The Year that Never Was."

Jack reached out a hand and grasped one of the Doctor's hands, as if asking for strength. "The Year that Never Was," he said.


	16. Chapter 16

A Darker Shade of Midnight

Chapter 16

* * *

Author's notes: This has been tough to write. I needed to get all the horror down (and we aren't done with The Year That Never Was yet) without being too graphic. So I tried to be as subtle as possible. Writing it graphically would have been technically easier but I didn't want that for my readers. It should be longer, and it will be, but I had to break up this little horror story into chapters because it's pretty tough to write something like this tastefully. I hope I succeeded.

* * *

They sat facing each other for what seemed like the longest time before the Doctor finally spoke.

"If one of us doesn't start we'll just get stuck in a feedback loop of endless silence," he said.

Jack's grip on the Doctor's hand increased. "He hurt you, and I couldn't stop him," he said.

"And he hurt _you,_ and I couldn't stop him," said the Time Lord. "And I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. But I just couldn't kill him, Jack. He was my friend, once."

"And Gray was my brother, and I couldn't kill him, either. Until I went through that, I couldn't understand how you could forgive Saxon," Jack squeezed the Doctor's hand again. "Gray murdered my team-mates, he almost leveled Cardiff, and he buried me alive for what felt like forever. And I forgave him. Can't you forgive yourself?"

"I don't know," the Doctor said. "Sometimes I feel like everything that happened comes down to me being selfish, wanting to save him. All because I didn't want to feel alone."

"No one wants to feel alone, Doc," Jack said. "I only wish he hadn't been so bat-shit crazy that he couldn't be saved, couldn't be stopped. But he wasn't like you. And that was the only thing you got wrong. I don't know why it had to be the way it was, why the Time Lords did the things they did to make him that way, but I do know you had nothing to do with it."

"My cowardice served me well," said the Doctor with a self-deprecating smile. "I ran away. He didn't."

"That's my rogue Time Lord," Jack said, smiling. "I'm glad you went rogue. I'd never have met you otherwise."

"Pot, kettle, rogue Time Agent," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, I guess we're more alike than either of us would like to admit," Jack said.

"Except you aren't rude like me."

"No offense, but you do have a little problem with that."

"None taken. I was very rude when you came around on Malcassairo." The Doctor shook his head, and now he was the one who squeezed Jack's hand. "What was I thinking? '_Busy life, moving on.'_ You'd have been right to punch me out."

"The thought crossed my mind," Jack said ruefully. "That was a pretty fucked up thing to say. But it's good to know you regret it. That means you didn't really mean it."

"Of course not," replied the Doctor. "It's just…"

"I know, the whole Wrong thing."

"Well, it's not just that, Jack. I've not been completely forthcoming with the truth. You'd just resurrected, and, well…ehm."

"What? What have you been holding back?"

"It's just that, well, you know how upset I get when you let yourself get killed unnecessarily?"

"Yeah?"

"We're connected, Jack. You became immortal though the TARDIS, and she and I are integrated. When you die, I feel it, and I feel it when you come back. And it hurts."

"Oh, no," Jack said. "No, no, that's…that's terrible! If it hurts me like that, what's it doing to you? I didn't know! I'm sorry, Doc. Oh, shit, I'm so sorry."

"Swearing won't make it better, Jack. You swear too much. You're better than that."

Jack laughed. "Only you could respond like that after just admitting you feel it every time I die. Twenty-first century culture seeps in after a while, Doctor. Swearing makes what you say a bit…punchier."

"You could try, couldn't you? You aren't stupid, you can choose other words."

"Doc, I've changed so much for you. Don't make me stop using swear-words, too."

"I suppose I do ask a lot of you." The Doctor said wryly.

"Fuck yeah, you do!"

"Jack!"

"I know, I just couldn't resist." Jack's grin faded quickly enough. "I guess this is me trying to avoid talking about it. I don't sleep much, but when I do I have nightmares. You?"

The Doctor bit his lower lip and nodded, the hunted, haunted look back in his eyes. "It hurt, being aged. And I was hungry, so hungry, all the time. In the shape I was in, I could only eat so much kibble, you know. I still can't walk by a bag of dog food without feeling like I'm going to pass out."

"Mine was cold mashed swede. Every day."

"I would have loved just a taste of that. Made it harder for me to integrate myself into the Archangel network's matrixes, being so hungry and weak all the time. But you, Jack, what he did to you. I know some of it. He used to have video fed to my area. He made me watch. Said he would…hurt Tish if I didn't. I couldn't let him hurt her."

"Sorry you had to see that, Doc."

"Good heavens, Jack! You're sorry I had to see it? I'm sorry you had to live it! And I know you deliberately provoked him to keep him busy with you."

"Well, partly to keep my morale up, too. I won't lie, it was tough. But he wasn't the first to torture me, Doc, and he won't be the last. I will say he was good at it."

"I watched him flay you, Jack. I watched him burn you with a blowtorch. I watched him drill holes in your feet and hands. Don't try brushing it off like that with me, Jack Harkness."

"Okay, so it was brutal," Jack conceded. "In all honesty I'm more concerned with what all of it did to you. He was trying to break your mind. If he'd gotten his hands on Martha it would have been so much worse."

"If he had gotten his hands on Martha he would be Master of everything by now," the Doctor said.

"Exactly," Jack agreed. "And I hate to think of the fun he would have had with her." Jack paused then and looked the Doctor in the eye. "He beat you, didn't he? Even in your aged state, he hit you. I know he did, I know it in my heart."

"Yeah, he did. Had a bit of fun with solder, too."

Jack winced. "What else?"

"Honestly? Most of it was him trying to break me. Burning Japan, hurting and humiliating people I love." He paused then and his eyes grew large and dark. He seemed to have a bit of trouble breathing. "Oh, Jack, he killed my Sara Jane right in font of me!" The Doctor swallowed hard, his hands beginning to shake. "And her son, Luke. He even found Jo. I'm sure he would have eventually gotten around to going back in time for others, maybe even my Susan. He would never have stopped until I was as mad as he was."

"You do know he got my team, too, didn't you?"

"Killed them in front of you? Played little games with them?"

"Yeah. Yeah, he did."

"Like trying to make you choose which to kill first?"

"You too, huh?" Jack tried to smile but wasn't sure it didn't turn out more a grimace. "You know the drill. Didn't matter what you'd say or even if you didn't say anything, he'd do as he damn well pleased in the way he knew it would hurt the most. He put a gun to Gwen's head and made Owen and Ianto slice me up once. But you fixed all that. Thanks to you, they all lived, except for the President Elect, poor bastard."

"For everyone but those of us on _The Valiant. _Martha's poor family, Jack, especially Tish…I'm not sure of everything that happened to her, but Jack, I know some of the guards were capable of—"

"I know," Jack said. "I never asked. But I do know UNIT provided psychological support and counseling."

"And you?" The Doctor gazed steadily at Jack.

"They offered," was all he said.

"And you didn't accept," said the Time Lord. "Why?"

"Probably the same reasons you wouldn't," Jack said. "Face it, Doc, we're both pretty bull-headed about things like that. Besides…"

The Time Lord looked at Jack expectantly until the silence grew awkward.

"Because what could they do for me, anyway? I'm pretty sure they don't know much about post traumatic stress disorder in immortals."

"The being murdered repeatedly thing, then?"

"Yeah," Jack said, sighing. "Some were worse than others. Like the acid bath. Took hours. And of course seeing how long it took to starve me to death. That was brutal."

"I know you were angry with me, Jack. You say you understand now, but you didn't have that frame of reference then. And it must have seemed as if I was choosing him over all of humanity."

"The thought crossed my mind. And honestly, because this won't work if I'm not honest, so please understand…" Jack took a deep breath, forcing himself to take the plunge. "I still am a little pissed off with you about that. I have perspective on it now, but the emotional baggage is still there."

"I know. I understand, I do. But…before we found him, Jack, I didn't just feel alone, I knew I _was_ alone. With my people, we were always aware of all the others because to an extent we shared a consciousness. Imagine losing a great deal of your vision and hearing. And then suddenly, it's back.

"That's what it was like for me. When he died, I went back to being partially deaf and blind again. Can you understand that?" A silent tear slid down one of the Time Lord's cheeks. "And it didn't hurt just emotionally, either. The pain was quite physical because of our connection. It was just that way with my kind. With _our_ kind."

Jack gently brushed the tear away. "I didn't know, Doc. I'm so sorry. It's too easy to forget you aren't human, and that's our fault, not yours. You always told your companions the truth about you not being human. I guess the human in us wants you to be human as well, and when we rediscover you aren't…"

"Jack, you know how I can hear things and see and smell things that humans can't?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, my emotional make-up works a bit like that as well. I feel things for my companions that humans don't feel. Because those emotions don't exist for you lot. They just aren't there. And I don't want to patronize, but these emotions are pretty powerful, and there's no words for them other than Gallifreyan. They just don't translate." The Doctor took a deep breath. "He knew that when he hurt one of you, it hurt me in a way that only another Time Lord understands. I…"

The Doctor's face grew particularly pained. "I know he butchered you. Like livestock. Butchered you and left you living, even gave you medical treatment to keep you from dying, just so you could heal up and he could do it again."

The Doctor suddenly rose and bolted to the window, hanging out of it and gasping for air. Jack went to him and found the Doctor looking a bit green around the gills. He kept swallowing and wiping his mouth. "Feel sick," he said. "Thought I might throw up for a minute."

"Doc," Jack said. "You say you know he butchered me. You didn't say you saw it, or that he told you, but you know it. How?"

The Doctor leaned against the wall next to the window and slowly slid down until he sat on the floor. He buried his face in his hands. "I was so, so hungry."

"Doctor." Jack spoke more firmly now. There was something here he didn't like, and suspected he already knew the answer. But he felt this was something his friend needed to talk about, so he pressed on. "I've had to question a lot of people, Doc. I learned to listen to how something is said, not just what words are used. How did you know about the butchering? How did you know it didn't kill me? Tell me."

"There was a while when even the kibble stopped coming. Then one day I was brought a bowl of meat. And I wanted to eat it so much." The Doctor curled up on himself, hugging his knees. "I was so hungry, Jack. So hungry. And I couldn't eat the meat, because it was you. I could smell you in the meat. Those 51st century pheremones of yours. And I knew you had been kept alive because I hadn't felt you die. I knew he had butchered you and kept you alive."

So, Jack's suspicions were proven, then. He refused to tell the Doctor the reason he had been kept alive. Once he's been killed and resurrected any part of him which has been severed turns black and vanishes. The Master had kept Jack alive to make sure his flesh would be preserved.

He had no words, so he just helped the Doctor up and guided him to his bed, where he sat beside him and held the Time Lord in silence. How many other ways had the Master tried to destroy his dearest friend's sanity? True, Jack had been psychologically tortured as well, but he knew it had been done only to further torment the Doctor.

And then the Doctor began muttering softly, as if his words were for Jack's ears only, swiftly, as though if he didn't let the words rush out, they would stay locked away in his heart forever. And he seemed desperate to let them out at last. "He kept starving me, kept bringing me your flesh. I could feel myself nearing death. I could feel the psychic connections I'd been working on with the Archangel network slipping, and that was our only hope. And that isn't all. If I had regenerated under his care, who knows what kind of Time Lord I could have been? I was so scared, so, so scared. I might turn out just like him. I couldn't let it happen, Jack. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But I finally—"

"Shush, now," Jack whispered. "You don't have to say it. I understand." And don't you dare ask for my forgiveness, you couldn't help it. My poor Doctor, how that must have hurt you to have to do that. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Doc."

The Doctor began to make a sound, a sound Jack had never heard him make before, and hoped never to again. The Time Lord must have multiple sets of vocal chords to make a sound like that; it was like nothing any of them in the room had heard before besides the Doctor himself. The sound was a soft wail of grief in multiple half-tones, almost like a keening song being sung by a choir.

The others in the room could see the horror on Jack's face, and knew it had to be mirrored in their own faces. For Boromir it all became unbearable when these two friends who had suffered so much began to weep, clinging to each other like children. He went to them and patiently guided them to their feet.

"Enough for now," he said. "The pair of you need fresh air and a rest from this. Come, we shall sit by the stream."

"Elrond said—" began the Doctor.

"I care not what Elrond said, if he had heard this he would agree! And if he does not like it, well then, let him take up the matter with me," Boromir said, every bit the Captain General of a great city-state. "Aragorn, a bit of help, if you please. Merry and Pippin, fetch some wine. Let us go and sit beside the stream and have these two take in a bit of fresh air. Perhaps look at the stars."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N -sorry for the delay in updating. The last chapter was so dark and heavy I had a hard time figuring out how to follow it. Also my sister passed away and as you can imagine that put a hitch in my creative process.**

* * *

Boromir, a hand on the shoulder of each of his new friends, attempted to guide them into the hall in an effort to get them out into the fresh air. His good intentions were thwarted when the Doctor suddenly bolted towards the TARDIS with Jack at his heels.

"He needs the TARDIS," Jack said over his shoulder. "She knows how upset he is. He needs her more than anything else right now."

The Doctor fished his key out of his pocket with shaking hands. Jack took it from him and opened the TARDIS door. The Time Lord leapt inside. He ran to one of the struts and crumpled to the floor, resting his head against the coral, gasping for breath. Jack went to him and sat on the floor beside him, his eyes glued to the Doctor, wary of a downturn.

As Boromir entered, he could sense the TARDIS reaching out to the Time Lord. He placed a hand on the strut where Jack and the Doctor sat. He could sense something passing between the marvelous machine and the Time Lord…

~sweet~theif~love/comfort/protect~I/You~need/love~no~hurt~I~love~sweet~thief/no hurt/no guilt/love~love~love~

In Boromir's mind, it sounded almost like singing.

Aragorn, having followed them inside, stood staring for quite a while, speechless. "Yes, she is bigger on the inside," Boromir said. "And she is quite alive. They are linked in spirit. It is difficult to believe, but I know it to be true."

"Should we not get them out into the fresh air?" Aragorn asked.

"I think not," Boromir said. "We should wait. She doesn't mind."

"How do you know this?"

"Can you not sense what she is saying to them?"

"I cannot," Aragorn said, brow furrowed. "Is this magic? And how did she get here in their room? I have been meaning to ask."

"The Doctor brought her here. He said she wanted to be in the room with her friends. They speak with each other, if one can call it speech. I cannot understand how they do it. But is it magic? I think it is not, at least not magic as we know it. This is a thing we here in Middle Earth have not. It has to do with his being a Time Lord. Remember, Aragorn, he is not as we are. Jack said he is a man, yet not a man. We must not allow ourselves to forget this. See now, how she calms him, and Jack as well."

They watched as Jack brushed his fingers through the Doctor's hair with a "Shush, shush, now…nothing can harm you, the TARDIS is with you, with us. Between the three of us you'll feel better soon".

The Time Lord wordlessly tapped the coral. One-two-three-four. One-two-three-four. One-two-three-four.

Jack again took his hand in an effort to still the rhythm. "Is this to do with Midnight? I never liked your answer to that. An answer that means both yes and no isn't an answer."

The Doctor looked at him, lips pressed together: I'm not telling you.

'_Stubborn thing,'_ Jack thought. But how to get it out of him? Patience…this would take patience. Jack forced a feeling of deep, deep dread down. He felt in his heart that something horrible was going to happen, something the Doctor knew about and refused to let Jack know. But why?

And what was there to do but wait it out, wait until his friend could tell him. In the meantime, his friend was falling apart all over again. Jack reached out to the TARDIS. ~_Help him, please, please help him. Make him understand. Make him see that you suffered as much as we did. Make him see that you need him as much as I do, more than I do! Please!~_

Suddenly the TARDIS began to play music. It was 'Skylark'. When the lyrics reached the part 'faint as a will-o-the-wisp, crazy as a loon,' Jack could bear it no more. He wrapped his arms around his friend, feeling hot tears course down his cheeks.

"That's you, Doc. My crazy, brilliant friend. We're here," was all he could think to say. "The TARDIS and me, we're here. Don't ever think we aren't. No matter what happens or what happened, she'll never stop loving you, even when you don't love yourself."

"She says she's your mother," the Doctor said suddenly, "and I'm your father. I guess that's true. My son. My only son. At least the only son I have left since…"

"Does this mean I have an Oedipus complex?" Jack said, grinning.

"Jack!" the Doctor said an outraged expression on his face. "Incorrigible, impossible…impertinent…_thing!"_ He glared at Jack, but his anger didn't hold and he snickered in spite of himself. At least he wasn't falling apart any more. Jack thanked the Universe for his inappropriate sense of humor…somehow it occasionally seemed to snap the Doctor out of his worse moods.

"You feeling better now? Wanna step out for a breath of fresh air?"

The Time Lord nodded. "I want to see the stars," he said. "I need to breathe the air. And I need a cuppa. I really, truly need a cuppa."

"I'll get it," Jack said. "Cup of tea, the stars, some fresh air, it'll do you a world of good."

Boromir gave Jack a hand up. As Jack went into the galley to make tea, Boromir held his hand out, offering a hand up to the Time Lord. Instead of accepting the offer, the Doctor pulled Boromir down to sit beside him.

"Lean back and rest your head against the coral," said the Doctor.

Boromir did as he was told, closing his eyes. "What music is this she is playing?" Boromir asked.

"It's an old tune. I don't know why, but when I listen to it, it gives me a feeling of well-being. She knows it, and she plays it when I need to hear it."

"It is a good song," Boromir said. "I can sense her, with my head resting here. I can almost hear her. She loves you so, but why does she call you a thief?"

"We stole each other," said the Doctor. "The other Time Lords were going to decommission her. I just couldn't bear it, and since no one wanted her I took her for my own. She wanted me as much as I wanted her."

"I see," Boromir said. "For I somehow know she needs you as much as you need her. What a wonderful thing she is."

"That she is," said the Doctor, running a hand affectionately along the grid near his foot. "I wouldn't be the same without her. In fact, nothing would be the same without her. It's…a long story."

"I hope some day to hear it," Boromir said. "But not, I think, this night." He placed a hand on the Doctor's shoulder and, giving it a gentle squeeze, added "Perhaps if there are other tales to tell tonight, you should try to find something more merry?"

"Oh," said the Doctor with a grin, "We have some of those! In fact, we've quite a few. And Jack knows a lot like that. We both had quite a few adventures before we met. We traveled together for a while. Then he was killed and then made immortal and I…well, I abandoned him. But we got back together, and we've not lost touch with one another since. We've had some adventures that make very good stories to tell. Though with Jack…well, some of them I wouldn't want them told in mixed company."

"There you go again," Jack said, returning with the Doctor's tea. "You never talk about my romantic side! And I do have one, you know!"

"Sorry. I know you do, it's just…well, you do have a somewhat legendary status as a lover. Our own pan-galactic Casanova."

"Met him once," Jack said. "You know, I think what that poor fellow needed more than anything else was for someone to really love him. To put him first, for once. His mother certainly never did and I think it messed him up for life."

"You met him?" The Doctor looked positively gobsmacked. "I met him! Lovely fellow. Always thought you two should have met up. Jack…tell me you didn't…"

"I didn't," Jack said. "Not that it wasn't on offer, for my part. He wasn't interested. But don't ask about some of his girlfriends. Now, that I did. Did I ever!"

"Somehow I don't doubt it," the Doctor said.

Jack gave the Doctor a hand up and placed a mug of steaming tea in the Doctor's hand. He offered his arm in a gentlemanly manner to the Doctor. "Little fresh air and a walk down to the stream? You look like you could use some star-gazing."

"Oh, go on, you big lump!" The Doctor shoved Jack playfully.

"See if I put you on my dance card next time. Like you can even dance."

"I can so dance!"

"Not even. Come on, Doc. Fresh air!"

"All right. But I can so dance."

"I've seen you. _That _was not dancing. That was…flailing."

"Some day, Jack Harkness, I'm going to show you I can so dance. Fair play to you, though, you are a good dancer."

"And a good singer," Jack said smugly.

"Go on! You are not!"

Jack took the Doctor's tea, handed it to Boromir and grabbed the Doctor, dancing him around the console and singing…

"And in your lonely flight  
haven't you heard the music in the night,  
wonderful music,  
faint as a will o' the wisp, crazy as a loon,  
sad as a gypsy serenading the moon.

Oh, skylark, I don't know if you can find these things  
but my heart is riding on your wings.  
So if you see them anywhere  
won't you lead me there…"

He danced his friend all the way around the console, singing away quite beautifully until he came back around to where they had started. He stopped, took the tea and handed it back to the Doctor. "Now, you were saying?"

"So you can sing," the Doctor conceded. "Doesn't mean I can't dance!"

"I think I just found out you can, when you want to. I'm still better, though. And you lead horribly."

"You're a man of many parts," said the Doctor. "And don't you dare make a joke of that! I know how your mind works!"

"And doesn't that scare you to death," Jack grinned. "Come on, let's have that little walk."

As they walked towards the door, Aragorn suddenly stopped. "Blankets," he said, pointing to a stack sitting by the door. "They were not there when we came in!"

"That would be the TARDIS," the Doctor said, smiling proudly. "She put them there, didn't you, old girl? She thinks of everything."

"Then she is…she really is…" Aragorn stammered

"Alive," Boromir finished, patting his shoulder and grinning. Ever the gentleman, he opened the door to the TARDIS and stood by as each one passed through, placing his hand briefly on the back of each of his friends as they filed by. A good opportunity, he thought, to put the Doctor's plan to touch Jack more into action, keep it light and casual so as not to raise any suspicion in Jack. As he touched the Doctor's back he could feel the Time Lord was still quite tense, the muscles on his lean form taut as a drum-head. Jack noticed the look of concern on Boromir's face and nodded almost imperceptivity as if to say _'I know.'_

He grabbed the blankets on the way out, shutting the door behind him, turning from this wonderful blue box with a wistful smile and followed his friends. Aragorn led the way. Boromir trotted to catch up to him.

"I know your mind must be in quite a muddle," he said. "So was my own when first I walked inside the Doctor's box. But could you not sense her? I could do so right away."

"I could not," Aragorn answered. "And yet you could. Surely there is some meaning to this, but what it is I cannot guess."

"Nor me," Boromir said. "But my heart tells me I have nothing to fear from it all. The Doctor says she likes me. Why I do not know."

"Such strange and wondrous things," replied Aragorn.

"What is strange and wondrous?"

"A man that is not a man with a box that is not a box. And his friend, who seems jovial and quite friendly, yet there is that in him that, I would wager, would frighten the fiercest warg. All are a puzzle to me."

"I doubt they are puzzles we shall solve," said Boromir agreeably. "Yet we may enjoy trying, whilst they are here. Somehow I do not think they shall be here long."

"And why do you think this?"

"You've spoken to Jack," Boromir said. "They do not belong here." He pointed skywards. "There," he said. "There is his home. The Doctor and his wonderful box belong up there, with his friend, sailing through the stars, like Eärendel. I cannot know how, but I feel that is as it should be, and somehow I find it…comforting."

They ran into Merry and Pippin in the hallway by the stairs leading to the path that would take them to a mossy, smooth patch by the little stream. They spread the two large blankets on the soft moss, and each took a place around the wine and snacks Merry and Pippin had scrounged up and arranged in the middle.

As the Doctor settled on the blanket, being careful not to spill his tea, Merry and Pippin brought cups from a basket and, filling them with wine, passed each one a cupful except the Time Lord. "Think I'll stick with tea if it's all the same to everyone. _Lembas,_ you know. Could be a bad mix for me. I can do without a repeat of my behavior of a few nights ago. I really disgraced myself, didn't I?"

"Ha! You call that disgracing yourself?" Jack laughed. "If you want disgracing yourself, you should have been with me when I accidentally fell into bed with Queen Ooria of Ka'all."

"How do you accidentally fall into the same bed as a Queen?" asked the Doctor.

"Well, they have their beds in the branches of trees and I was actually aiming for her daughters' bed. I misjudged."

"Don't tell me, you climbed the Royal Arboreta and tried to jump from one branch onto the one with the Princess?"

"Yep." Jack grinned. "And that's Princesses."

"Jack…have you no control at all?"

"Hey, they invited me!"

"What did the Queen do?"

"Well, what do you think she did? Widowed for ten years. Poor thing, she needed a good cuddle."

"I just bet," snorted the Doctor.

"Well, she did! She was lonely, I was lonely. It worked out pretty well for both of us."

"Guess I can't complain too much," the Doctor grinned. "I can always say I've had a piece of Jack Harkness."

"Ah, gallows humor! Was I rare, medium or well done?"

"Medium. And for the record, you tasted horrible. All those pheromones. Still. Kept me alive, didn't you? That's you, always saving my neck, even when you aren't trying."

"Are you saying I'm your knight in shining armor?"

"No, because that would make me the maiden in distress."

"So be the Doctor in distress then. I'll still ride to your rescue."

"I don't doubt it, just mind what you come riding to my rescue on, will you?"

"What, and miss out on the fun? No chance. Just seeing the look on your face would make it worth it."

"Talking of riding," Boromir interrupted, "When were you wanting to go?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Oh, tomorrow, maybe? What do you say, Jack? Care to take and old fool riding tomorrow?"

"Can't wait!"

Pippin took a crock out of a basket and pulled out the cork. "We thought you might prefer tea, Doctor," he said, topping off the Doctor's cup. Merry handed the Doctor cream and honey. "We have found out from speaking with Boromir that we have different names for the stars. That group, there," he pointed to the sky. "We hobbits call that group the Scythe. Boromir's people call it The Burning Briar. What do you call it?"

"Well," the Doctor said, gazing at the sky, "You wouldn't understand my native tongue. The TARDIS doesn't translate it. However, on the world Jack and I think of as our home now, it's called The Big Dipper, made up of the Alkaid, Mizar and Alcar , which are actually optical double stars, Alioth, Megrez, then down to Phecda, across the bottom to Merak, and finally up to Dubhe on the lip. If you extend a line from Merak up through Dubhe about five times the distance, you should find Polaris, the North Star. The one at the end of the handle of the dipper is The North Star." A wistful look crossed his face.

"You're babbling!" Jack said with a grin. "Good to hear it, means you're feeling better. Miss it, don't you? Being out there."

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I quite do."

"That's a good sign, too. Soon as we get us sorted we'll be back out there," Jack gestured at the sky. "The Doctor and the Captain. Footloose and fancy-free."

The Doctor made a small, happy, humming sound in his throat. "Can't wait," he said.

"Well," said Merry, "As lovely as it sounds, I quite think I would rather keep my feet on the ground."

"And me!" Pippin added. "I should probably die of fright up there. We hobbits do not much care for heights."

"Besides," Aragorn also added, "Middle Earth holds many wonders, and much remains to be done here by we who live here."

Boromir sighed. "I must confess, I should like to see it," he said. "But if I could go anywhere I wished, I would go home. And as soon as I may, I shall."

"My true home is gone," the Doctor said. "But I'm fine with the TARDIS. She's all the home I need."

"Mine is gone, too," Jack said. "Both of them."

The Doctor's head snapped towards Jack, his brows drawn downward. "Jack? What happened?"

"You know what happened to the Boeshane Peninsula," he replied.

"That isn't what I'm asking."

"Gone," Jack said with a frown. "Just…gone. Useless to think about it. At least right now."

"Jack?"

"Not now, Doc." Jack sounded quite final on the subject.

"All right," the Doctor said softly. "When you're ready."

Jack leaned gently into the Doctor, as if unconsciously seeking comfort. The Doctor leaned into Jack.

Boromir watched the pair of them, thinking _'see how they lean, one against the other? That is all that is holding them upright just now. They are too broken to stand on their own. Perhaps a ride may well do them both good.'_


End file.
